Forecasts of snow amounts for the coming winter are difficult to make. I use a method that assumes the patterns established in the summer (data from June, July, August) will continue thru the following winter. Then I find similar summer patterns in the NOAA data for Bradley Airport and determine what the following winter produced. Last year, the most noteworthy description of the summer was occasional hot spells with heavy and lengthy periods of precipitation.
One of the larger influences on the seasonal climate normality is the ENDO index of sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific. The forecast for the coming winter is that it will be negative.
The data for the 8 years in maximum precipitation at Bradley Airport since 1949 are shown in the table. I also added the ENSO index for summer and the following winter from NOAA. The index is -.5 or lower for La Nina years. Snowfall for the following winter is also included.
Year | N 90+ | T Max | T Min | T Avg | Rain | ENSO Index summer/winter | Snow DJF+M |
2021 | 23 | 83.17 | 63.46 | 73.32 | 21.69 | -.4,-1 | P |
2013 | 16 | 82.87 | 62.60 | 72.68 | 21.86 | -.4,-.4 | 50.1+1 |
1982 | 11 | 82.62 | 58.64 | 70.63 | 20.61 | 1.7,0.8 | 45.3+1 |
2008 | 11 | 82.62 | 61.56 | 72.09 | 20.49 | -.8,-.8 | 38.5+7 |
2009 | 9 | 79.55 | 60.26 | 69.91 | 20.29 | -.5,-.7 | 30.6+8 |
2011 | 14 | 82.95 | 61.55 | 72.25 | 20.14 | -.7,-.5 | 12.7+2 |
2018 | 24 | 84.33 | 62.48 | 73.41 | 19.52 | .1,.7 | 21.8+10 |
1955 | 25 | 83.27 | 61.47 | 72.39 | 27.85 | -.7,-.8 | 24.5+43 |
p Predicted DJF+M=December, January, February and March
The 2013, 1982, and 2018 had a positive ENSO index for the following winter and will not be used. The three years 2008, 2009 and 2011 are closest in precipitation totals. (October snowfall is not included in the winter total in 2011.) The average snowfall for these years gives 27 inches for DJF and 8 inches for March. The expected range of snowfall would be 30 to 40 inches as most likely. The normal in about 45 inches. The total forecast for the year Dec-March is 35 inches of snow at Bradley Airport. Higher amounts would be expected in the hills and lower amounts along Long Island Sound.