We may be catching a break for the upcoming winter after all.

At least, one can hope based on the latest long-range forecast from Accuweather.com which predicts cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis will be right in the center of Snowmageddon once the storms really start to batter the Midwest.  Northeast Ohio, however, is still forecast to receive higher-than-normal amounts of snowfall by the time winter wraps up in 2012.

While not in the "sweet spot" for heavy snowfall, Accuweather predicts cities such as Cleveland and Detroit will still see higher than normal accumulations. Those storm totals could also extend to Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania before turning into ice storms along the Ohio River Valley.

The Accuweather forecast predicts December won't be as arctic-cold as previously thought, and even suggests temperatures may be slightly higher for the Midwest and Northeast regions.

On the web and images:  www.Accuweather.com