Autumn has officially begun, temperatures have dripped and that means old man winter is about to rear his ugly head. But wait you may want to check out the predictions for this winters forecast before you rush out and buy a down jacket.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just issued its “Winter Outlook”.

You might not like what they have to say if you were dreaming of a white Christmas or taking sleigh rides in the snow.

The forecast for early December through February for most of the country is above average temperatures.

The NOAA also expects a mild winter for most of the United States with warmer weather to the Northwest and above-average rainfall for the south. This warm and wet weather also applies to Alaska and Hawaii.

Even though the forecast is set for a wet winter in the south the rest of the US will experience below average precipitation. Which means less snow this year!

The reason is a “weak” El Nino weather pattern, caused by warm ocean currents that bring heat and rain to the United States.

As NOAA indicates, “warmer-than-average” does not mean there will be no heavy snowstorms in our future.

There’s also a chance that winter could arrive in March as it did in 2018 when Noreasters brought true winter weather in the East.

If the prediction of a warm and wet winter come true would you be happy or would you actually miss it?