Another difficult winter season is among us.

The main cause of last year’s winter was the warm pool of above average waters throughout the northeastern Pacific, according to fristhandweather.com. El Nino is a similar major factor in weather patterns. It has been predicted that the upcoming Wisconsin winter will be especially cold, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“The term El Niño refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific,” says the National Ocean Service.

It affects the weather and climate significantly. Currently El Nino is relatively strong; therefore having a greater influence on the weather ahead.

Most people who survived the last Wisconsin winter claim it was never ending, including Arrowhead sophomore, Maria Bauer and freshman, Collin Schmitz.

“The snow kept coming and would never end,” says Bauer.

According to the creator of liveweatherblogs.com, an average snowfall season in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the surrounding area, is 46.9 inches and last season’s snowfall reached 63.4 inches. The predicted snowfall for this coming season is 40.5 inches. It will be especially cold in late December, claims the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Since the coming winter will not be as snow filled and quite as cold as last winter activities will be more bearable. “After one of the coldest games in NFL history this January, Packer fans can look forward to warmer temperatures in the season to come,” says writer, Eric Holthaus on slate.com. Schmitz also says that he is hopeful for a shorter and somewhat warmer winter so that he can participate in winter sports.