AccuWeather.com is predicting above-normal snowfall for Maryland and the Northeast this winter.
Instead of a few heavy-hitting storms like last winter, the meteorology website suggests the region will be hit by more frequent storms. As is common in this region, many of those storms could feature a mix of snow, rain and sleet, according to AccuWeather Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok.
"I think the Northeast is going to see more than just a few, maybe several, systems in the course of the season," he said.
On average, about 20 inches of snow falls on Baltimore each winter.
Regarding winter temperatures, Pastelok predicts relatively few days will hit the single digits or go sub-zero across the Northeast, though it will likely be colder than last winter's mild conditions.
Seasonal forecasting is difficult to do accurately, meteorologists say. Any predictions carry increasing uncertainty the further out they are made, unless there is a strong climate signal like an El Niño climate pattern to suggest what weather patterns might dominate.
Last year, AccuWeather's winter forecast panned out. Pastelok called for an end to the outbreaks of Arctic air that dominated previous recent winters, and the chance for El Niño-fueled major snowstorms.
The winter ended up warmer than normal thanks to a springlike December and mild February. And snowfall was nearly twice the long-term average, with 35 inches -- and 29.2 of those inches fell in one record-breaking storm in January.
This winter, there is no El Niño to contend with. The global climate pattern can lead to snowy winters here because it sends moisture streaming across the southern tier of the United States, and sometimes that sends snowstorms up the Atlantic coast.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center in College Park predicts neutral conditions, with neither El Niño nor its counterpart, La Niña, likely to be present through the winter.