El Niño Could Bring Extreme Weather To Michigan By February

This winter has been very mild so far in West Michigan.  That maybe changing in February.

We have enjoyed above average temps and below average snowfall.  In fact, this winter has been a huge punch in the gut to local ski resorts.  Is that about to change?

According to the World Meteorological Organization,

Model forecasts suggest that this will change within the coming month or two. The chance of a full-fledged El Niño between December 2018 - February 2019 is estimated to be about 75-80%, and about 60% for it to continue through February-April 2019. Model predictions of the strength of the El Niño range from just a warm-neutral condition through to a moderate strength El Niño event, with sea surface temperatures peaking at approximately 0.8 to 1.2 degrees Celsius above average.

The Lansing State Journal spoke with William Marino of the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids about what we should expect,

Recent weather history indicates the transition from La Niña to El Niño usually results in below normal snowfall for the Lansing region in December followed by a much heavier mix in January and February, Marino said.

Right now our Kalamazoo forecast from WWMT shows very mild temps for the next week.  However, it sounds like we shouldn't put our snow shovels away just yet.