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Chief Meteorologist Stephen Cropper's WINTER WEATHER FORECAST

PITTSBURGH — Snow, cold air and cancellations left their mark last winter.
 
"In my 25 years in education, last year was probably an 8 or 9 on  scale of 1-10," said Avonworth School Superintendent Dr. Tom Ralston.
 
For Ralston winter means less sleep and more stress while students hope for canceled classes.
 
Watching out for more than 1,500 students in the Avonworth School District, his job is to get kids from home to the classroom safely.
 
"I've often said that if I'm going to make an error it's going to be on the side of caution," he said.
 
When winter weather's in the forecast, his team is up early, mapping out a plan and looking to Channel 11  for guidance.
 
Chief Meteorologist Stephen Cropper analyzed the most recent data for several weeks, and is forecasting another cold and snowier-than-normal winter.
 
For the rest of November, Cropper forecasts 3 1/2 inches of snow, above the 2 inch average.
 
He anticipates some big temperature swings, with a few mild days and a monthly temperature 3 degrees colder than normal.
 
You'll need the shovels in December with several nickel and dime snows totaling right around 9 inches.
 
December will also be our warmest month this winter.
 
But don't get used to it.
 
Cropper expects to hear a lot of snowblowers in January.
 
He forecasts 14 inches of snow that month,  2 inches above normal.
 
And it will also be a month of extreme cold.
 
Temperatures will average more than 5 degrees colder the normal.
 
Cropper is forecasting February to be our snowiest month and it'll bring our best chance at a big snowfall.
 
The totals will pile up with 15 inches in the forecast, above the average of 10.3 inches.
 
Temperatures will struggle too, coming in 5 degrees colder than normal, but Cropper expects there will be several spring-like days when you can wear light jackets and hit the park.
 
By March we'll be in a pattern of quick-hitting snow storms -- those that drop a couple of inches at a time.
 
Cropper is forecasting snow totals around 7 inches, which is close to the monthly normal, and temperatures will again be colder than average by about 4 degrees.
 
You'll still have to crank up the heat but because it won't be as cold as last winter, the Energy Department expects natural gas and electric bills to be slightly lower. 

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