Accuweather

The upcoming winter could be an extended one from the northern Plains to the natural gas-hungry population centers of the eastern United States, with cold and snowy conditions stretching into the spring, while the southern half of the nation is expected to be relatively mild and dry, according to a long-term forecast issued Wednesday by AccuWeather.

Natural gas inventories could become a lot tighter and prices could soar much higher in the coming winters if predictions from AccuWeather.com Chief Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi prove true.

Natural gas inventories could become a lot tighter and prices could soar much higher in the coming winters if predictions from AccuWeather.com Chief Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi prove true.

Following record-cold December temperatures, AccuWeather.com chief long range forecaster Joe Bastardi said he sees the frigid trend extending coast-to-coast through mid- to late January.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which officially began June 1, will be “very active,” with 18 named storms, including 10 hurricanes, five of them intense (Category Three or greater), forming before the season ends Nov. 30, according to Colorado State University (CSU) forecasters.

The summer of 2010 is likely to be warmer than normal for much of the country, with average temperatures nationwide “much warmer” than the summer of 2009, AccuWeather.com Chief Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi said Monday.

The eastern United States, which has been buffeted by colder-than-normal temperatures and a series of snowstorms this winter, will remain under the thumb of colder-than-normal weather for the next three months, while the West can expect warmer-than-normal temperatures through May, according to the latest seasonal forecast from Andover, MA-based WSI Corp.

Despite the U.S. having just experienced its fourth warmest December since records began in 1895 (see related story), AccuWeather chief long-range forecaster Joe Bastardi said the unseasonably warm winter to date in the United States is likely to “turn on a dime” this month. If his forecast proves true, natural gas and power prices could be jolted higher, as already evidenced by the natural gas futures market’s response to these cold front warnings.

Despite the U.S. having just experienced its fourth warmest December since records began in 1895 (see Daily GPI, Jan. 10), AccuWeather chief long-range forecaster Joe Bastardi said the unseasonably warm winter to date in the United States is likely to “turn on a dime” this month. If his forecast proves true, natural gas and power prices could be jolted higher, as already evidenced by the natural gas futures market’s response to these cold front warnings.