LC:
You may have noticed that the forecast models and other guidance are backing away from a "Classic La Nina" winter forecast.Indeed, the first true Arctic air mass of the season is set to sweep across the eastern two-thirds of the nation starting late next week. That cA intrusion is not the brutal, late January type of chill, but rather a starter course of sorts that will get people in the mood for the holiday season. And, I suspect, creating heating demand increases for 5 to 7 days and ends the trend for warmth shown this autumn.
But as you can figure, any good cold shot is likely to give way to a warming trend. It appears highly likely that the blocking signatures over the Davis Strait and Alaska will break down in Week 3, and not resume until the hammock week between Christmas and New Year's Day. But before you right off the cold for good, consider that a sub-Aleutian vortex is predicted to emerge, and a subtropical jet stream will be present through Mexico into Florida. The latter feature suppresses the Greater Antilles heat ridge. Without a southern branch wind field, the ridge expansion pulse would take the center at 500MB into Florida. Then a Southeast Ridge would emerge, which during an -ENSO event is a "winter destroyer" to the right of the Rocky Mountains. A storm appears likely to take a "Colorado/Trinidad A" path in the last week of December. That system may be the draw to bring the cold air back to the southern and eastern tiers of the nation.