Theo's Autumn 2008 & Winter 2009 Weather Outlook

**THEO'S SEASONAL OUTLOOK FOR AUTUMN 2008 & WINTER 2008/2009**
Expect Fall and Winter 2009 To Arrive Early This Year

Welcome back to all those returning from summer vacation!

{NOTES: This seasonal outlook precedes my WINTER/SPRING 2009 Long-Range Climate & Weather forecast to be published between August 30 through September 7th. This outlook is written to give early-bird climate hawks time to adjust & prepare for what I forecast will be an early fall and winter seasons just ahead the latter months of 2008 going into the winter and spring months of 2009...}

THEO'S ASTOMETEOROLOGICAL SEASONAL OUTLOOK FOR FALL 2008 & WINTER 2008/2009

According to my astrometeorological calculations on climate conditions, the fall season will arrive earlier than normal and will lead to an earlier than expected winter. This winter will last from mid-November 2008 into May 2008 due to the cooler and wetter Spring of 2009, which will make this coming winter season seem longer than normal.

Winter, in my astrometeorological calculations, will begin on Saturday, November 13, 2008 and will extend to April 25, 2009. The biggest story of the winter will be the Air temperatures, making this one of the coldest winters for some time in North America.

Spring 2009 will be late, making the months of March, April and May 2009, wet and cooler than is normal for spring. From what I can determine from my calculations, Spring 2009 is muddled, cold, cloudy, with the climate still in the throes of winter, which does not want to seem to end until late April 2009. Warmer weather and clearer sping-like skies will not become more frequent until early June 2009.

I am forecasting a long winter for this reason, as I see spring 2009 arriving latter than usual, with a delay in climate and spring weather until early June for many regions of North America. As August 2008 winds down, some of you may have noticed that the month of August hasn't been as hot and humid for much of the country, expect those on the west coast and the Pacific Northwest, which have been experiencing warmer-than-usual hot and steamy weather.

Those residing in the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and New England should have been aware of the cooler than normal August temperatures, especially those residing along the Canadian border, such as those in upstate New York, and those living near mountainous and valley regions.

Fall, for a majority of the country (excepting parts of the far west & PNW) will first be clear and chily, then wetter, and cold into late October, with winter's arrival by November 13th, about 18 days ahead of meteorological winter (Dec. 1) and a full five (5) weeks ahead of the Winter Solstice (Dec. 22.) My long-range weather forecast will include my assessment of winter's early arrival by mid-November, with some snows in October along the northern regions of North America, and with colder-than-normal temperatures for two-thirds of the country during the months of Sep. through November.

This means a early fall season. Those in mountain and valley regions should already see signs of the earlier onset of fall before mid-September's autumn equinox. Keen city dwellers in the East, and New England who are attuned to the signs in nature will see trees shedding leaves. The color of the leaves assist in shedding (no pun intended) the coming season of fall, and winter. More bright yellow colors of fallen leaves in August indicate a wet autumn with cooler-than-normal temperatures.

AUTUMN 2008
We are seeing lowered daytime temperatures in the East, Southeast, and Midwest range between 82-70 degrees with night-time temperatures in the 50s & 60s. Areas close to mountains and valleys have seen night temps in the mid-40s in late July and early August. Areas as far north as Buffalo, N.Y. for example have had a wet summer with cooler-than-normal temperatures, and it has been a wetter than normal summer for the midwestern and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. Farmers have been reporting wet hay fields because there has not been enough hot weather to dry the hay fields out.

This fall season will be clear, crisp and cooler-than-normal for many regions of North America. Fall conditions are arriving earlier than usual, and by second week of September it will be obvious to most that autumn is already here. By the third week, everyone will be commenting on the cooler than normal temperatures and the spread of dry leaves everywhere. By that time, the fall equinox (Sept. 22) when the Sun enters tropical Libra, autumn will have already been here for the northern hemisphere.

The rainy season kicks off early too (in mid-September) and continues in early-to-mid October for some regions, and in early November in other regions. A very wet fall season after mid-September is ahead generally. Early snows at higher elevations arrive the week of Sept. 22-29 October, with high wind conditions for New England, the Great Lakes, and all regions along the 49th Parallel bordering Canada.

PREVIEW OF WINTER'S EARLY ARRIVAL
Winter 2008-09, according to my assessment will be colder, and wetter than normal with increased snow and ice events for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Winter is earlier than usual, with much colder temperatures than is normal for November and December. I've been forecasting a earlier than normal winter for this year in my comments since last year. Frost season will begin from Sept. 7 through to October 31, 2008. Farmers and gardening enthusiasts should prepare earlier than normal for this frost season.

After Sept. 15, expect to see signs of an earlier-than-normal rainy fall season for the Midwest, East, and Southeastern states. Colder temperatures in New England and the Great Lakes, with snow events at high elevations the week of Sept. 22-29. This autumn season will also see the early signs of what will be be common this early winter: high winds & blizzards, and freezing rains. Most residents east of the Rockies in the U.S., should beware of very slick roads, and freezing rains this winter ~ mostly ice events ~ and should therefore be prepared for power outages by purchasing generators to run power in your homes and businesses.

Gusting winds throughout regions of the country pick up from October 19, 2008 and continue through December 27. There will be about ten (10) weeks of varying levels of gusting winds from mid-October to late December, making the colder-than-normal temperatures feel even colder throughout this period.

Arctic temperatures for two-thirds of the country (excepting the far west and Pacific Northwest) will occur between November 26 through to January 4, 2009. These arctic temperatures begin to recede slowly in January until the effects of the Pacific jet warms things up in late January. I do not expect a strong Pacific jet until after January 25, 2009.

This means the month of February 2009 will see temperatures rise after the pullback to the north of arctic air. However, February 6-9 brings another eastern snowstorm to the Mid-Atlantic states, then afterwards, a continuing warming up of the atmosphere the rest of February, but with still more threats of ice events because of the increase moisture in the atmosphere threatens the Southern Plains states, and Southeastern U.S. in February.

Expect a stonger-than-normal northern jet stream this winter bringing about northwestern winds anf Alberta clipper systems into the Great Lakes, and upstate New York and New England with these clipper storms riding this wave also into the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania and into the Mid-Atlantic region.

December 5-12 shows snow and ice events for Southeastern & Central U.S., with colder than normal temperatures, heavy rains from the Gulf of Mexico combined with cold arctic air from Canada combining to prpduce snow and ice. Strong winds will make the storms damaging. The Central & Southern Rockies, and southern Plains into northern Texas will be affected, as well as states as Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia.

That early December 2008 winter event, for example, continues into the Mid-Atlantic region the week of Dec. 12-19, and will arrive by Friday, December 12, making for a messy weekend on the east coast and northeastern metropolitan areas with heavy snows in Philadelphia, New York, Washington D.C., and parts of the Southeast. Blizzard warnings due to the high winds will increase snow accumulations in the cities and suburbs. Roads will be treacherous the second and third weeks of December.

ASTROMET OUTLOOK
I expect about 2-1/2 snow storms a month from early December 2008 through to early March 2009 for the Rocky Mountains, the Southern Rockies, Cental & Southern Plain states, as well as the Southeastern, Central and Northeastern United States. This will make Winter 2009 memorable after several years of a relatively warm winters; especially in the Midwestern, Southern and Eastern

U.S. CLIMATE CONDITIONS FOR WINTER 2008/2009

• Early onset of winter by Mid-November 2008
• Colder-than-normal temperatures
• Gusty Winds, blowing snows, blizzard conditions
• Strong Northwestern Winds
• Arctic Air
• Numerous Alberta Clippers
• Increased Gulf Mositure Mixing with Arctic Air

This winter will be colder-than-normal due to the lack of sunspot activity affecting the Earth's equator. Colder than normal winter temperatures (arctic air) are on tap this winter ahead with increased precipitation of freezing rains, snows and gusty winds mixing with the very cold air. My outlook for the nation from the Continential Divide towards the entire two-thirds of the country is to prepare for a chilly early autumn and very cold winter season. Think and act about 4-5 weeks ahead of what one would normally do to prepare for fall and especially winter this year.

SPRING 2009 OUTLOOK
Next Spring is "muddled." That's the word I use because from all my calculations, spring is very slow to get up, and when it does, it is sluggish at best and takes it's time to get started. February 2009's Pacific jet will warm the atmosphere over much the U.S., and during the latter half of the month of February, it will "appear" as if spring is one its way. However, it is not. Spring-like weather will be seen in the Southern U.S. in early February. Do not be surprised to hear thunderstorms and see lightning in mid-February in the southern region of the country. There are strong potentials for tornados in February and the first 15 days of March 2009 throughout the southeastern U.S.

By March 6, 2009, a six-week Venus retrograde (Mar. 6 to April 17) will delay the onset of proper sping climate conditions relative to Earth's position to the Sun-Venus configuration. Prior Venus retrogrades before spring equinoxes have shown wet winter conditions returning over the course of about six-weeks ~ the exact length of most Venus retrogrades.

The climate by the next spring equinox (March 20, 2009) will see increased precipitation from the South to Central Midwestern states, to the Northeastern regions, including New England, with heavier-than-normal rains, particularly in April 2009, with the threat of a major Nor'easter along the eastern U.S. from April 17-25. The months of March and April 2009 show chillier than normal weather conditions. A damp, unsettled, and stormy climate throughout these two months.

April 2009 is very windy, wet and cold, with winter-like days and colder-than-normal temperatures showing that spring will be delayed yet another month. According to my calculations, spring really does not fully bloom until the second week of June 2009. Warmer temperatures from the continued Pacific jet will increase, as the northern jet falls further south, bringing with it heavy rains and increased gusty winds during all of April into the first week of May 2009.

SPRING 2009 CLIMATE
Colder than normal
Wetter than normal w/ heavy precipitation & freezing rains
Windy (especially April 2009)
Winter-like storms in March & April

A fuller, and more detailed astrometeorological forecast for the country will be published by early September for Winter/Spring 2009.

Theodore White, Astrolog.CSA
Classical Scientific Astrologer & Pro Astrometeorologist

"As Above, So Below."