My initial long range forecast for the Winter of 2012-13!

Last year I came out with a winter forecast I thought was pretty decent even if it turned out to be less than accurate. So, this year, I'm going for the same deal – a harsh and bitterly cold season. Why would I do that?

Here's the deal. Weather scientists are looking closely at three factors that have traditionally spelled trouble; low sunspot activity, active volcanoes in the arctic and a progressive alternating pattern of La Nina and El Nino's warming and then cooling the waters off the coast of South America.

If you put together that combination of La Nina, El Nino, La Nina again and you look at what has happened historically, and we also understand that increased volcanic activity loads the atmosphere with cooling dust and you take into consideration that low sunspot activity tends to lessen the amount of solar heating globally, then one could come to the conclusion that a series of very cold winters... could be on the way. Perhaps the next three years could see record cold in the northern latitudes with even the southern climes getting wacked a time or two over the coldest months.

Should this forecast come to pass, it would be a good idea for everyone in the northern states to either plan a vacation in Florida or to stock up on firewood.