Warmer than average winter likely this year in the Triad, meteorologist says

The Triad got its first dusting of snow before the official start of winter this year, but meteorologists say that’s not necessarily an indicator of a harsh season ahead.

Paul Pastelok with Accuweather says it’s likely that major winter storm systems miss the region this year. 

“They don't produce a lot of precipitation for us here in North Carolina; a lot of times they just kind of skip to the east and try to get moisture off the Atlantic and usually pull it northward,” he says. 

He’s predicting above-average temperatures and below-average snowfall, even in the High Country. But he says we could still see a cold snap or two.

“We're seeing also some evidence of the polar vortex being a little out of whack at the end of this month, which could bring a little bit of extra cold at the very end of 2024 to the start of 2025.”

Pastelok is also keeping an eye out for thunderstorms this winter — he says those systems have been arriving earlier and earlier every year.