Cool and wet weather likely in Houston this Winter

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The upcoming winter could be wetter and cooler than normal in Houston and most of Texas. That's according to an outlook issued Thursday by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Wet weather is likely from southern California, Texas and the southeast US. Drier than normal conditions are likely in the Pacific northwest and the Great Lakes.

Temperatures are expected to be cooler than normal from Texas to Florida. It should be warmer than normal along the West Coast, the northern Rockies and along the US-Canadian border into New England.

The long range outlooks are based on El Nino and La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, an analysis of the air pressure patterns across the northern hemisphere, weather trends over the last 10-15 years and the output of long range climate forecast models.