This winter might be slightly snowier, colder than normal

The past five Iowa winters have been snowier than normal, and colder than usual in four of them.

The next one?

State climatologist Harry Hillaker told The Des Moines Register that it's an even bet for more snow than usual and a slight chance of lower temperatures than normal.

The Pacific Ocean's La Nina conditions -when equatorial waters are lower than normal - are expected to be relatively strong this winter.

Hillaker says the last 20 times that such La Nina conditions occurred, Iowa had snowier-than-usual winters on 12 occasions, and 11 of those winters were colder than normal.

But conditions vary from one side of Iowa to the other. He says snow was heavy in northeast Iowa last winter, "but there was not much winter in the south."