Seems like it should stay below average through new years. That bodes well for our snow chances this month

For some reason Lake effect gets my interest more than system snow. Always has since I was a kid. Still the same today. Just something different about it. It can just be so surprising. I remember some time in the 90's the forecast was for 1" maybe overnight, but woke up to like 12" of fluff. The wind went more WSW than forecast and nailed my neighborhood with a band for about 4 hours. That's when I really got into the phenomenon. I grew tired as a kid waiting for the epic snowstorms only to wake up to sleet and/or rain because the LP inevitably went further north than predicted.

It's crazy that the long range hasn't been ironed out already

What? models are going back and forth before a potential cold and snowy period?? NO WAY!!!