Even so, not many were ready for what Mother Nature brought last winter. Extended periods of below-zero temperatures and wintry conditions pushing south into unprepared states caused havoc in the energy and transportation grids.

The distribution industry had to deal with the polar vortex head-on, and it was often costly. As we forge further into December, suppliers figure to be better prepared for another particularly difficult winter.

Several national weather forecasting services, including AccuWeather and The Old Farmer’s Almanac, say a repeat of the winter of 2014 is entirely possible.

“After record-shattering temperatures and high snow totals last winter in the Northeast, a similar theme will continue into the 2014-2015 season,” says AccuWeather in its winter forecast. “The polar vortex, the culprit responsible for several days of below-zero temperatures last year, will slip down into the region from time to time, delivering blasts of arctic air.”

“With its traditionally 80 percent–accurate weather forecasts, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts that this winter will be another arctic blast with above-normal snowfall throughout much of the nation.

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