Hoar frost covers leaves near the South Chickamauga Greenway early Friday. Weather experts predict Tennessee will have a slightly warmer winter with above average levels of precipitation – which could mean some icy episodes.ELSEWHERE ONLINEwww.dot.ga.gov/winterweather
NASHVILLE – The winter weather outlook in Tennessee is for slightly warmer than normal temperatures and precipitation that is a bit above average.
Translation: Keep the ice scraper and the rock salt handy.
The major factor is the La Nina surface conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which means the sea temperature is cooler than usual.
However, a phenomenon that’s predictable only a week or so before it happens could prove a spoiler, said Bobby Boyd, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Nashville.