Understanding Why it is Difficult to Forecast Winter Weather in the Northeast

Winter storms in the northeastern U.S. are notoriously difficult to forecast with precision. A variety of different natural and manmade elements throws a high degree of uncertainty into the forecast in this corner of the country. Here is a look at why forecasting winter weather in the Northeast can be such a crapshoot.

Population Density

The Northeast is the most populated region of the nation. While this population density does not influence the whims of Mother Nature, the sheer amount of people that live in this region raises the stakes when a winter storm is headed that way. Over 50 million people call the Northeast home, meaning that weather forecasts are put under the microscope with a greater intensity.

Any bit of snowfall can have a significant impact on business across the country, schools, and commerce. With the high population density of this region, a subtle difference in the track or development of a storm can be substantial. This compares to the weather forecast in lower-population areas, where the far-reaching impacts are much less.