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• Areas ravaged by extreme drought over the past year are unlikely to see much relief from drought conditions this winter.
• In the 2012 U.S. Winter Outlook (December through February) odds favor:
• Warmer-than-average temperatures in much of Texas, northward through the Central and Northern Plains and westward across the

Southwest, the Northern Rockies, and eastern Washington, Oregon and California, as well as the northern two-thirds of Alaska.
• Cooler-than-average temperatures in Hawaii and in most of Florida, excluding the panhandle.
• Drier-than-average conditions in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, including Idaho, western Montana, and portions of Wyoming, Utah and most of Nevada.
• Drier-than-average conditions in the upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and northern Missouri and eastern parts of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and western Illinois.
• Wetter-than-average conditions across the Gulf Coast states from the northern half of Florida to eastern Texas.
• The rest of the country falls into the "equal chance" category, meaning these areas have an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and/or precipitation.
• This seasonal outlook does not project where and when snowstorms may hit or provide total seasonal snowfall accumulations. Snow forecasts are dependent upon the strength and track of winter storms, which are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.
• NOAA's National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, fore

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