He certainly didn't seem overly excited about what he was seeing in the pattern. He acknowledged that there were a couple of things working for us, but he's also been adamant that there are issues to be resolved as well. For example, late December 2021 featured a strong -NAO and Lanco finished up at +8 for a temp departure:
"For anyone thinking that Greenland blocking (a -NAO) guarantees snow and cold for the mid-Atlantic States, you need only look back to last #December. The NAO was - for the last two weeks of the month, but temps were still 8°F above normal for the month at @millersvilleu..
The combination of a deep trough over western North America & ridging over the Southeast "offset" the -NAO & caused there to be very little snow and cold in southeastern PA. Although #December2022 should be chillier, we MAY see a modified version of this pattern."
It's only 12/6 so a lot can and probably will change, but the overall tone/demeanor has gotten notably more somber over the past several days.