Unpredictable winter ahead

SANDPOINT — The upcoming winter season is shaping up to be an unpredictable one.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist John Livingston, analysts around the country have been keeping a close eye on water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, a region that, among many other things, has the strongest influence on winters in the Pacific Northwest.

Warmer-than-usual waters create the El Niño effect, which leads to typically warmer and drier winters with light snowfall.

Cold water temperatures have the opposite impact with the La Niña effect, typically leading to loads of snow and cold weather.

It appeared to Livingston and other meteorologists during the summer that the Northwest would be experiencing an El Niño winter with milder weather. As new data arrived, however, those impressions didn’t hold up.

“All that has changed now,” Livingston said. “We’re seeing near-normal sea surface temperatures.”

Based on that information, there’s no clear indication on whether or not the winter will have any remarkable qualities. However, Livingston said it was more likely that the region will grow warmer and drier than usual as the season progresses.

Regardless of what happens over the long-term, however, it’s possible that Bonner County residents see the signs of the season sooner rather than later. The National Weather Service’s forecast for today places rain and snow as a likely occurrence with a 60-percent probability.

According to Livingston, residents will want to ensure they start taking the proper precautions when it comes to winterizing houses and vehicles.

“It’s pretty fair to say the first snow is going to take a little adjusting — it always does,” he said. “But before long, people start getting into the groove.”

Lake Pend Oreille School District, for one, is preparing with a new service that notifies parents immediately in the event of a school cancellation or other emergency situation. Rather than requiring individuals to call in and check on school closures during bad weather, the district can now send the notifications directly to them through text messaging.

To sign up for the service, first make sure that your child’s school has your cell phone number on file, and if it doesn’t, wait 24 hours after it’s added. Once that’s done, text the word “join” to the number 56360. If the system finds your phone in the database, you will receive a reply thanking you for joining the alert system. You can also unsubscribe at any point by texting “stop” to 56360.