Now it's official: Winter will be a bear By: Robert Pore, of the Plainsman September 08, 2000 Get out your long underwear and make sure your shovel and windshield scrapers are ready to use.

Winter will get off to an early start this year, according to The Old Farmer's 2001 Almanac.

Available on newsstands starting next week, the almanac is predicting that winter in the Northern Great Plains-Great Lakes region will be getting off to an early start in November, with frequent flurries, cold temperatures and gusty winds.

And to make the forecast seem that much worse, it comes on the heels of announcements that the price of natural gas will be soaring, greatly increasing heating bills for the coming winter.

NorthWestern Public Service, based in Huron, has said it expects an increase in natural gas prices of 25 percent heading into fall. But the Public Utilities Commission has heard of estimates up to a 70 percent increase.

The almanac says many areas will see their heaviest snowfall toward the end of March. Temperatures will average colder than normal during each month of the season, although the southwest part of the region will be more moderate.

The coldest temperatures are expected in mid-December and mid-January. Despite the general cold, there will be several mild periods and even a brief January thaw.

The Old Farmer's 2001 Almanac forecast coincides with state climatologist Al Bender's recent forecast that South Dakota can expect a more "normal" winter this year, meaning colder temperatures than in recent winters.

Bender said the shift toward more normal climatic patterns is due in part to the waning of La Nina. While it may be some time before La Nina ends, the climate is heading into a neutral period between El Nino and La Nina.

"In a neutral phase and going into El Nino, South Dakota historically sees its most significant winter weather," said Bender.

The September-through-November long-lead outlook foresees temperatures normal to slightly above normal, with normal to above-normal precipitation for the Northern Plains.

As we head into the spring, the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting that April will be much cooler than normal, with snow at the start of the month and again after mid-month. May will warm up dramatically, with a good amount of sunshine and many scattered thunderstorms.

The almanac says the summer season will get off to a hot start in June, with cooler-than-normal temperatures in July and August. Rainfall will be below normal in the western half of the region, but heavier than normal in the east, with most of the rain coming in the form of thunderstorms.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=831250&BRD=1128&PAG=461&dept_id=97933

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 08, 2000