Extreme winter weather conditions,including crippling snow and ice storms and deadly cold waves,affect parts of the United States every winter. To anticipate these events, forecasters look for certain large-scale weather patterns that can sometimes signal the arrivalof extreme winter weather conditions. (MORE: ) Here are a few of the weather patterns to watch for this winter. 1.) East Coast Snowstorm Pattern When examining the potential for a blockbuster East Coast winter storm,meteorologists monitor an index called the North Atlantic Oscillation...

At a Glance We examined snowfall in 50 U.S. locations to look for trends in El Niño seasons.Some regions trend snowier during El Niño, others less snowy.But not all El Niños are the same, and El Niño isn't the only factor. El Niño can have impacts on weather worldwide, from heavy rain to extreme drought and persistent warmth to stubborn cold. It can even have some impact on how snowy a winter season youexperience. (MORE: ) To examine how this...

At a Glance Mid-October snow cover across North America is the largest it's been since 2005.Canada has the largest amount of snow cover.The snowpack could help feed early-season cold weather in parts of the United States. Early fallhas already brought plenty of winter weather to parts ofNorth America, pushing the continent to its largest snow cover extent for mid-October in more than a decade. The area covered by snow in North America as of Sunday was , according to an...