PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC

800 AM EST SUN DEC 2 2007

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN DECLARED WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NORTH

CAROLINA. ALL WEEK LONG THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE ISSUING

INFORMATIVE MESSAGES TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR WINTER WEATHER.

...LA NINA TO BE IN CONTROL THIS WINTER...

ONE MIGHT THINK THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OCEAN TEMPERATURES IN THE

TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN WOULD HAVE NO AFFECT ON WEATHER IN THE MID

ATLANTIC REGION. THE TRUTH IS LA NINA...AN AREA OF BELOW AVERAGE OCEAN

TEMPERATURES IN THE TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN...CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

ON WINTER WEATHER IN THE CAROLINAS.

A LA NINA DEVELOPED IN THE LATE SPRING AND SUMMER...AND IS EXPECTED

TO PERSIST WELL INTO NEXT SPRING. AS A RESULT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER

SERVICE OUTLOOK FOR THE 2007-08 WINTER (DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY)

INDICATES ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION

ACROSS THE CAROLINAS. FORECAST FOR BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION THIS

WINTER IS NOT GOOD NEWS AS DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO GRIP THE

STATE. IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS BEFORE THE NEXT

GROWING SEASON AND WARM SUMMER MONTHS…CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

NEEDS A SURPLUS OF 5 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN ABOVE THE NORMAL RINFALL

EXPECTED IN THE WINTER AND SPRING. AN EXCESS OF RAINFALL DURING LA NINA

EPISODES IS RARE AND CHANCES ARE GOOD THAT PRECIPITATION THIS WINTER

WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL.

LA NINA WINTERS TEND TO HAVE A LOT OF VARIABILITY. THIS MEANS THAT THERE

ARE LIKELY TO BE ALTERNATING PERIODS OF WARM WEATHER AND COLD WEATHER

OVER THE COMING MONTHS. THE EXPECTED PATTERN IS NOT FAVORABLE FOR

NOR'EASTERS DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST OR WINTER STORMS

SINCE THE UPPER JET STREAM…A VITAL COMPONENT IN NOR’EASTER

DEVELOPMENT…IS TYPICALLY POSITIONED FURHTER NORTH.

HOWEVER...THE WINTER OF 2000...WHICH WAS ALSO A LA NINA WINTER...WAS

ACCOMPANIED BY A RECORD ANOUNT OF SNOWFALL IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

NEARLY 2 FEET OF SNOW BLANKETED CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA IN JANUARY OF

2000. THE LARGEST WINTER STORM TO HIT THE MID ATLANTIC DURING THE 1995-96

WINTER…ALSO A LA NINA PERIOD…COATED CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA IN UP TO

A HALF INCH OF FREEZING RAIN.

PREPARATION FOR POTENTIAL WINTER STORMS IS OF MORE IMPORTANCE THIS

YEAR SINCE IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE A MAJOR STATEWIDE WINTER

STORM HAS AFFECTED NORTH CAROLINA. SO...EVEN THOUGH

THE WINTER AS A WHOLE IS EXPECTED TO BE WARMER AND DRIER THAN AVERAGE...

EVERYONE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR OCCASIONAL COLD SNAPS AND THE

POSSIBILITY OF WINTER STORMS THIS COMING WINTER.

NNNN