Here's The Latest Outlook For Winter 2020 In NYC

NEW YORK CITY — A mild start to 2020 is more reminiscent of spring than midwinter, but the season is really just beginning.

The first half of January appears to continue with mild temperatures, at least through Jan. 13, the National Weather Service predicts. That forecast is similar to that of the Weather Channel, which says New York will experience above average temperatures for the whole month.

And it's not just a local trend: the Weather Channel says nearly the entire country will be warmer than normal in January.

"The only area where below average temperatures are anticipated in the first month of the year is from northern Montana into northern Idaho and far northeastern Washington," the January outlook from the Weather Channel says.

The mild temperatures are due to a strong polar vortex, an area of low pressure over the poles, forecasters explain.

Polar vortexes in the winter are more often associated with frigid cold snaps, but when it's strong the coldest air remains over the Arctic, the Weather Channel explains.

Average high temperatures for January in New York are in the 30s and average lows in the 20s.

The 10-day forecast for the region shows highs in the 40s and even 50s many days. The end of the first week of the year looks particularly mild but wet, with showers and temperatures in the mid-50s.

The forecast for January aligns with the The Old Farmer's Almanac long-range forecast released in the fall. The centuries-old forecaster, founded in 1792, is predicting New York will have a "wet and wild" winter.

That prediction contradicts the forecast from the rival Farmers' Almanac, which says the upcoming winter will be colder than normal. The folks at the Farmers' Almanac are preparing for a "frosty, wet and white" winter season.

Both outfits use secret formulas to predict the weather that they keep closely guarded, and only time — and winter — will tell which one has it right.

According to the Farmers' Almanac, the coldest outbreak of the season should arrive during the final week of January and last through the beginning of February.

Over at The Old Farmer's Almanac, forecasters say winter 2020 in the U.S. will be remembered for storms that bring an unrelenting amount of rain, sleet and snow — including seven "big snowstorms" across the country.

The National Weather Service in October released the official government forecast for the winter, saying a warmer than normal season is expected.

Not a single section of the United States is expected to have colder than usual temperatures this winter, but some areas will experience more rain, the National Weather Service said in its outlook.

Here is the current forecast for New York City, via the National Weather Service:

Tonight
Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 34. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. West wind 14 to 17 mph.

New Year's Day
Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. West wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. West wind 8 to 16 mph.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 50. West wind 9 to 14 mph.

Thursday Night
Rain likely, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday
Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night
Rain likely, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday
A chance of rain before 3pm, then a chance of showers between 3pm and 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 42.