It might finally be time to dust off that sledge in the shed. According to meteorologist Andrej Flis, Europe (and the Netherlands as a result) could be in for a proper, old-school winter this year.
But before you dream of frozen canals, rosy cheeks, and maybe even a little Elfstedentocht (Eleven cities tour), just know that it’s not for certain.
What makes him think it will be really cold?
Flis points to a few major clues in the global weather system that indicate that this winter could be colder than usual.
The first is that the polar vortex (that swirling mass of icy air that normally stays parked above the North Pole) will be disrupted this year.
When this happens, it can send blasts of cold air much further south.
Then there is a La Niña coming. What’s this? It’s a cooling of the Pacific Ocean that tends to mess with weather patterns worldwide.
Based on historical weather patterns, Flis predicts that all these factors combined could lead to an extra nippy winter this year.
But before you start panic-buying thermal socks, Buienradar’s own meteorologist William Huizinga has a few words of caution.
Speaking with RTL, he says that the prediction “definitely makes sense” and praises its historical depth, but warns that seasonal forecasts are still, well, a bit of a gamble.
Not so accurate yet
He explains that “Minimal shifts in weather systems can have major consequences in Europe. So I don’t really dare to trust it completely.”
Still, there’s something exciting about the possibility, isn’t there?
Even if these forecasts are more of an educated guess than a guarantee, they’re part of the growing effort to understand long-term weather patterns better.
READ MORE | How to survive the Dutch winter: weather, clothing, and more
One day, seasonal predictions might be as reliable as your daily rain radar. Until then, we’ll just keep an extra scarf handy… and maybe start dreaming of skating on the canals again. ⛸️
Do you dream of a white Christmas, or are you more of a sun, beach, and tan kind of person? Tell us in the comments!
