Why A More Active Storm Track This Winter?

The big thing I have to point out but haven't recently is that the storm track will be more active than last year this winter. Last year, if you recall, something in the headlines was the 'Greenland Block'. You can see what the Greenland Block is below.

The Greenland Block has a high pressure system form over Greenland. This ridge (area) of high pressure remains over Greenland and pushes the jet stream south as cold air flows south into the US. This block really is a 'block'- in the sense that the Greenland Block creates a traffic jam in the atmosphere. When the jet buckles south, it creates two areas of low pressure- one over the East US, and the other in West Europe. Essentially, this pattern continues until the high pressure collapses. That's why there were not as many systems last year.
This year, however, the Greenland Block is not anticipated to be as prevalent as last year, therefore introducing the prospect for a more active storm track.