NOAA, CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER -- Today the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released their winter outlook for the 2014-2015 season and it looks like if you are still recovering from the frigid and snowy winter season last year, you will like what this year's outlook has to offer.  The winter season, lasting from December through February, dropped over 100 inches of snowfall last year, making it the 6th snowiest winter on record according to the National Weather Service's Seasonal Climate Report.

According to the CPC, this year will be drier and on the mild side.  This is the result of the El Niño, an oceanic phase that periodically brings warmer sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America which in turn affects global weather patterns.  Whenever an El Niño is set in place, the midwest typically has less precipitation and does not see the deep chill like we saw last year.  

The winter outlook released every year includes the rest of the United States.  Feel free to take a look at the rest of the winter outlook here.