Hunker down: next 3 months will be cooler and wetter than normal



SEATTLE -- Sick of winter, yet? Well, it's not ending anytime soon, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Their long-range forecast calls for below normal temperatures through May. They also call for a wetter than normal weather pattern through March.



Q13 News Chief Meteorologist Walter Kelley said this just means the La Niña, that has been influencing our weather for the past couple months, is continuing into 2018.

"It means through March we may still see a little lowland snow. Not big, giant, significant snow storms but an inch here and inch there," Kelley explained.

A weak La Niña formed last November. It's a natural cooling of parts of the Pacific that alters weather patterns worldwide.

La Niña typically brings drier conditions to the U.S. South and wetter weather to the Pacific Northwest and western Canada. Indonesia, the Philippines, northeastern South America and South Africa often see more rain during La Niña winters.

Kelley said there is a bright spot with this forecast. It means weather models suggest that the Pacific Northwest will have a normal amount of rainfall in April and May.

"Which we haven't had in about four years," Kelley said.

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