What does the latest winter outlook reveal?
UPPER PENINSULA -- Despite what the calendar says, signs of winter have already moved into the Upper Peninsula. It's been colder than normal for much of late October and early November.
How's the winter weather outlook so far?
One place to look for answers, locally, is Lake Superior. The water temperatures usually play a big part in how much lake effect snow we'll get.
But this year, they're not saying much.
"At this point, it looks like it's going to be a very marginal effect because the lake waters are where they should be," said Matt Zika, National Weather Service Meteorologist.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Ocean is wearing a poker face, as well; sea surface temperatures are near normal, indicating a frustrating forecast.
"There's just nothing at this point in time to lock on to to say how this winter will average out," said Matt Zika, National Weather Service Meteorologist. "So, there's basically equal chances either way of an above normal, below normal, and near normal winter for temperatures and even for snowfall."
That's why, despite how mild our last few winters have been, we can't get complacent; storms can happen at any time.
And when the snow starts flying, they're asking for you to speak up.
"The more information they're passing around, even if it's just in the social world with what their current conditions are for roads and snowfall amounts, it definitely goes a long way. It serves all of us across the U.P. very well."
The National Weather Service has compiled a list of winter hazards safety tips.
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