Snow How

To see if Jack Frost will hit us with another deep freeze this winter season, we asked two local weather forecasters for their
polar predi

by James Bigley II | Nov. 17, 2014 | 5:00 AM

MARCUS WALTER

Weather anchor, WKYC

Overall winter prediction | "This winter will be a little calmer. We'll get touches of colder weather, but I don't think it will be nearly as intense as last winter." White Christmas | Yes. "By then, we'll be cold enough and any snow that falls will definitely settle in on the ground." Days below zero | 10-11. "It'll probably happen as we start January. After that, things should stay, for the most part, above general." Coldest temp | Minus 5 degrees. "I don't think the intensity of the cold weather will be the same for this winter compared to last winter. In terms of the actual chill, we'll have it, but it won't be nearly as windy or brutal compared to last year." Winter tip | "If you are driving, make sure your car is taken care of so it can withstand the elements. If you are traveling, keep an extra set of blankets and maybe an extra coat in the car."

JEFF TANCHAK

Chief meteorologist,
19 Action News

Overall winter prediction | "This could be an El Nino year. What that would mean for the Great Lakes, including us, would be a little bit above average temperature, and then perhaps less than below average snowfall." White Christmas? | No. "We'll probably see a bulk of our snowstorms after Christmas." Days below zero | Zero. "There could be some days where we go single digits. There have been plenty of winters where we have not been below zero." Coldest temp | 5 degrees. "These cold spells aren't going to last as long as they did last year, where we had two-to-three-week stretches where it's just frigid." Winter tip | "Cold air always wins out, so if you see a cold spell coming in the forecast, chances are it's going to happen. I have yet in my career to forecast an arctic outbreak and it not happen."