WNYers should prepare for cold, wet winter, according to NOAA forecast

Western New Yorkers should prepare for a wetter and colder than average winter.

That could mean some dramatic storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Erie County, especially, should see colder and wetter whether, but the harsh winter could reach into Genesee County.

If the prediction is true, Genesee County will be wetter than usual. Whether that means more snow is uncertain.

For the second year in a row, a La Niña atmospheric condition will impact weather throughout the United States, according to NOAA.

That means the Southwest will be drier than normal and northern parts of the United States will be wetter than usual.

The wild card in the winter weather predictions is "Arctic oscillation."

The oscillation will effect whether parts of the country, including WNY, will be cooler or warmer than average, or just average.

NOAA says that Arctic oscillation is hard to predict and its impact on weather can't be read more than two weeks ahead of time.

Arctic oscillation, which pushes colder air into the United States, can have dramatic impacts on winter weather.

From the NOAA site:

• Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather for these regions is often driven not by La Niña but by the arctic oscillation. If enough cold air and moisture are in place, areas north of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could see above-average snow;
• Great Lakes: tilt toward colder and wetter than average.