Whitefish brace yourself for possible

déjà vu this winter.

The National Weather Service in

Missoula is predicting another La Niña event and with that comes

the likelihood of a wetter and colder than normal winter.

“Get your shovels prepared or

sharpened,” quipped Bob Nester, lead forecaster with the weather

service in Missoula, Monday.

La Niña means that water temperatures

in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are below normal influencing global

weather patterns. It’s an effect that created cooler temperatures

and high snowpack during the 2010-2011 winter.

Forecasters are calling for another

winter with much of the same.

“We’re gaining with pretty good

confidence that might happen again,” Nester said.

The weather pattern is expected to peak

from November to February. Similar to last year, there should be

more frequent wet weather events, an increase in precipitation and

colder temperatures. A cooler spring is also expected.

Snowpack for the 2010-2011 winter was

120 percent of normal in the western Montana river basins. Snowfall

in the Kalispell valley was 109 percent of normal and temperatures

averaged one degree below normal.

This winter’s La Niña is expected to

fall in the moderate to strong range like the last La Niña event,

which was the fourth strongest in weather data history.

“It was quite an exceptional winter as

far as La Niña years go,” Nester said.

The weather pattern is expected to

bring precipitation to much of the Northwest.

“It looks favorable for an increase in

mountain snowpack and precipitation in the valleys also,” Nester

said.

From December to February the forecast

calls for wetter than normal conditions. In the spring from March

to May the area can expect temperatures below normal and

precipitation at or slightly above normal levels.

Temperatures are expected to fall this

week with a chance of snow continuing through the weekend. High

temperatures are expected to be range from the low 30s to low

40s.

“You will see flakes in the air

sometime late this week,” Nester said.