Washington D.C (KICD)– That National Weather Service released its official outlook for the upcoming winter season.

This year, unlike the past three, an El Nino set-up appears prevalent which is driving an outlook for warmer than average temperatures for much of the Northern United States, including Northwest Iowa and Southwest Iowa. The best chances for warmer air through the winter months will be in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and Northern New England.

Precipitation forecasts are a little bit more of a mixed bag with wetter than average conditions being most likely in Northern Alaska along with parts of California, the southern Plains, Gulf Coast, Southeast and lower mid-Atlantic.

The greatest odds for drier than normal conditions are forecast in portions of the northern Rockies and Central Great Lakes region.

Much of the central portion of the country, including the local area falls into an equal chance category indicating there is not a strong enough signal to immediately determine the possibilities of being above or below normal.

Drought is also expected to persist across Northwest Iowa and parts of Southwest Minnesota according to the outlook with the line for some possible improvement just off to the southeast.