Enjoy Wisconsin's peaking fall colors and backyard bonfires while you can because, as ever, winter is coming.
The encroaching chill also means the annual arrival of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's U.S winter outlook report courtesy of the agency's Climate Prediction Center.
NOAA said the winter of 2023-24 will probably be dominated by the effects of what could be a powerful El Niño. That means a mild, dry winter is likely on tap for much of the northern tier of the U.S., while the southeastern U.S. should see a wetter-than-average winter.
The center's forecast covers meteorological winter, which is defined as the months of December, January and February.
Here's what Wisconsinites should expect, according to a NOAA.
What's the forecast for winter?
Wisconsin could see warmer-than-average temperatures and average or below-average levels of precipitation, according to NOAA. However, the greatest odds for warmer-than-average conditions are in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and northern New England.
Below-average precipitation is most likely in northern and eastern Idaho, Montana, northwestern North Dakota and Michigan, NOAA predicts. Portions of eastern Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee area, have some probability of receiving less precipitation than usual.
Why the hell does the journalist give any of their mental space to the Farmers Almanac? That nonsense has always been akin to your local quack doctor or tarot reader.