OK, I am back to seeing the "western guy", at least on my work computer. That was weird. It looked like a pic of the judge from the old TV show Night Court. I will have to check my laptop when I get home.
I always though an SWFE was a relativley weaker wave moving along a sharp thermal gradient. Wouldn't this be more of a robust Miller B? (Of course, academic exercise only, it is a 10 day op map!):
I've seen research showing that it's the two years just after the nadir that give us our best blocking chances. My hunch is that the Pacific is rarely good this winter, but we will have periods where Atlantic blocking does the trick....saving us from a total ratter.
16-17 we had 48" down here, including two double-digit storms. The February event where it went from 63f on the 8th, to a wind driven Tsnow event on the 9th, was tremendous. 12"-18" statewide in CT.
So yes, we could do a lot worse than that!