Warm weather could be a sign of winter ahead for Rock Hill area, forecasters say

Some toasty temperatures are headed for the Rock Hill area over the next several days, and the U.S. government’s meteorologists say it could be a harbinger of the 2017-18 winter in the Southeast.

In its official winter forecast, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there’s a good chance of above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation in the South. That will be due to the expected formation of a weak La Nina condition in the Pacific Ocean.

La Nina is the term given to warming water temperatures in the eastern Pacific.

“Typical La Nina patterns during winter include above-average precipitation and colder-than-average temperatures along the northern tier of the U.S., and below-normal precipitation and warmer conditions across the South,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center.

Halpert added that “drought development is possible in parts of the South that missed precipitation from tropical systems.”

That area includes the Carolinas Piedmont, government scientists said.

Warmer-than-usual temperatures certainly are on the menu for the next few days and again next week. Highs could approach 80 degrees Friday in the Rock Hill area, forecasters say.

A weak cold front is predicted to push southward from Virginia across the Carolinas on Saturday, bringing plenty of clouds and possibly a shower or two. Temperatures on Saturday could hover in the upper 60s during the afternoon.

But by Sunday and Monday, warm air is predicted to return, and an 80-degree high is a possibility again Monday.

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Warm weather could be a sign of winter ahead for Rock Hill area, forecasters say."