AccuWeather.com Chief Long-Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi today released his 2008 temperature and precipitation impacting the nation. His forecast calls for one of the coldest winters in several years across much of the East.

The core of cold was centered across the Great Plains last year but is expected to be farther east this year. Bastardi says the winter of 2008-2009 will be viewed as the hardest in several years. in the East. It will put some

“In the eastern half of the nation, people will look at the winter as bookends of cold,” Bastardi said. He says the overall colder and snowier winter will be off to a cold start in December with perhaps the roughest winter month for much of the nation. It may finish with another cold spell in late January and February.

Between the bookends of cold, Bastardi expects “the January thaw of old winter lore” but it will offer only a temporary break to consumers. “The winter as a whole in the population-dense eastern third of the nation will be a one-two punch of higher heating prices and lower temperatures. Given this economic environment, the winter could push some homeowners to the brink, residences as warm as last winter could spend hundreds of dollars more this heating season.

Temperatures across most of the West will be warmer than last year and should be warmer than normal, which will help consumers by keeping heating cost increases in check. The northern Rockies and Northwest will still have more snow than normal but not as much as last year, where some locations developed a snow pack that reached twice normal levels.

The Great Plains was blasted by snow last year and many communities ran very low on salt to keep roads clear of ice. Despite the elevated cost of salt this winter season, these areas will receive a break in the form of less snow than last year. Unfortunately, the East will not turn out as lucky, as more snowfall than last year is expected.

Enfin de belles conditons pour la planche a neige/ski