For now, the U.S. looks mostly warm south of snow cover for the last 1/3 of December. However, given a developing -NAO pattern some of the Canadian chill may want to thrust southward. Meanwhile a cold pattern change is indicated for Europe next week.

The MJO has been mostly dormant in the vicinity of Indonesia or westward since October. However, a slow eastward shift with intensification is underway the past 1-2 weeks. MJO has shifted toward the Pacific Dateline and a further eastward drift is indicated through the middle third of December. Upper ocean heat in the equatorial West Pacific is responding as warmth increases and shifts to the Dateline.