Winter likely to be wet with fluctuating temps

Above normal precipitation and a lot of ups and downs in temperatures are likely this winter, according to Rick Shanklin of the National Weather Service in Paducah.

Shanklin appeared on WHOP Friday morning and says western Kentucky has been above normal on precipitation the last year and he doesn’t expect that to change.

About an inch and a half of snow accumulated on November 11 and closed schools for three days—something Shanklin notes was unusual for that early in the season.

There is no El Nino or La Nina to drive weather patterns this winter, which Shanklin says makes predicting the season more difficult.

It’s too early for an official Christmas forecast, but Shanklin says there’s historically a 10 percent chance of accumulating snow on December 25.