Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow, and that means he’s predicting six more weeks of winter for 2023. Of course, the prediction of a winter extension from this marmot doesn’t always agree with the National Weather Service’s three month outlook, and that is true this year.

While Phil called for it to feel a lot colder than normal as we head towards the official start of spring on March 20th, the NWS outlook forecasts for an above average transition from winter to spring, temperature wise.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service reference temperature trends, national climatology, and the El Nino Southern-Oscillation among many other forecasting variables to make seasonal predictions. Since the La Niña Phase of ENSO will likely remain in place until the end of spring, the Lowcountry should expect average rainfall, and temperatures a bit warmer than normal through the next few months.

Of course, Storm Team 2 will bring updates on our climatology and forecasts through the end of winter and start of spring, and you can always stay informed by downloading our mobile app. If you just search WCBD in your app store!