Experts aren’t sure what kind of winter Iowa will see. According to the National Weather Service, the state has an equal chance of seeing above or below average temperatures.

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says historically they’ve been able to predict the severity of a winter by looking at the tropical Pacific Ocean’s surface temperatures. He explains when the ocean surface is unusually warm, a phase commonly known as El Nino, Iowa sees mild winters. He adds conditions have been in between the El Nino and the cooler phase, La Nina, so it’s hard to predict what the upcoming season will be like.