Before you get too excited, there is small print. (Isn't there always?)
If you're a resident of the southern parts of the United States stretching from Los Angeles to Atlanta you could be experiencing a "milder winter," during the upcoming months according to Time.com. Other warmer conditions are "most likely across the southern U.S., extending northward through the central Rockies, in Hawaii, in western and northern Alaska and in northern New England," according to an NOAA report.
This report projects seasonal outlooks, but since it is the weather, we should all be prepared for unpredictability and the typical winter conditions we are used to. The Climate Prediction Center issued a "La Nina watch" during the month. La Nina favors drier, warmer winters in the southern U.S and wetter, cooler conditions in the northern U.S. This means while the southern parts of the nation could be warmer, the Midwest and northern areas could experience more colder and wetter climates that usual. If you're in the Northeast areas, your winters will more than likely be "normal."
As great as the thought of a warmer winter may seem, it's bad news for southern California that has been experiencing an extreme drought. The NOAA sent a warning saying the drought could "spread to some parts of the southern plains during the winter."
Don't leave the beach lounging furniture out quite yet. You should still be prepared for the worst (or best if that's how you roll). "This climate outlook provides the most likely outcome for the upcoming winter season," says Mike Halpert of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. But "regardless of the outlook, there is always some chance for extreme winter weather."
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