The issue is that the article is titled "What is in store for the United States this winter", and it doesn't answer the question (even in a glib, playful way). Of course, it's a better title than "NOAA has no idea what is in store for the U.S. this winter". EC is, after all, not even a forecast. It's an admission. It shows that our models and knowledge are still very rudimentary relative to the system that they seek to characterize. Fortunately, you and the FA agree on what's in store for northern New England. Relatively warm, but pretty darn cold.