A new seasonal forecast suggests the East Coast could experience more than twice its normal number of strong storms this winter, with portions of Montgomery County and surrounding areas also included in a region where weather models indicate the potential for above-average snowfall.
Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll shared projections from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which anticipates 19 strong East Coast storms this winter compared to a seasonal average of nine. “This El Niño winter may feature more than twice the normal amount of strong East Coast storms, with 19 forecast compared to a normal of 9 by ECMWF,” Noll wrote. “That’s going to leave a mark, with more frequent risks for coastal and freshwater flooding, strong winds and inland snow.”
According to Noll, storm activity could increase significantly around the beginning of the new year, with several periods standing out for potentially intense weather systems.“Late December, early-to-mid January and mid-to-late February are periods to watch,” he wrote…