It ain't gonna last! Here's what's gonna happen soon...

(State College, PA - January 8, 2007) - The unseasonably warm winter experienced by
much of the country is likely to "turn on a dime," in the words of AccuWeather.com Chief
Long-Range Forecaster Joe *******i.

*******i said that the weather pattern from mid-January through mid-February has a chance
to mimic the winters of 1965-66 and 1957-58, each of which ended cold and stormy after a
warm start. A worst-case scenario would be if this winter plays out as did the winter of 1977-1978.

Similar to this year, 1977-1978 was a winter with a waning El Nino. After a tepid start, the
second half of the winter was noted for its cold and remarkable storminess, including
back-to-back-to-back blizzards in the Northeast.

"Those who think that winter 2006-2007 is going to remain mild are in for a shock," said *******i.
"Winter is likely to come with a vengeance. A week from now, we'll start seeing truly cold air
across much of the country, and we expect this change to last."

Added *******i, "Whether we end up with seasonably cold weather, or something far worse,
remains to be seen. There are indications that this winter could parallel severe winters of the
past. Even should we not see an extremely cold and snowy conclusion to winter, you can be
sure that by the end of the month, when those in the Northeast are shoveling out their driveways
and sidewalks, the mild weather we're experiencing now will be a distant memory."

Where Will Winter Go From Here?
The first signs of change will be noticed this week. A passing shot of cold air will knock
temperatures down to typical January levels in the northeastern part of the country for a
few days. Temperatures will return to unseasonably warm levels by the latter part of week
and last into early next week. The seeds for the more-lasting change, however, will be
planted in the western part of the country.

Arctic air from western Canada will pour southward into the Pacific Northwest, northern
Rockies, and northern Plains this week, and this will mark the beginning of a true winter
weather pattern that will encompass much of the nation over the next couple of weeks.
The core of the coldest air by the latter part of the week will be centered in the Rockies
and northern Plains, and the arrival of the cold air will mean another round of accumulating
snow for Denver later this week.

The cold air will slowly push southward and eastward from this weekend into early next
week and will likely arrive in the eastern part of the country by the middle of next week.
Much of the nation will then have a cold weather pattern for the second half of the month.

Long-range forecasting expert *******i points out that it's too early to say with certainty
that the change in the weather pattern will be long-lasting or produce heavy amounts of
snow. However, he believes that if the weather pattern reaches its full potential, the
dramatic change from warmth to cold could result in "one of the top-five coldest 30-day
stretches in the past half century."

Cheers,
Ellen