2016-2017 was actually a decent snowfall season in SNE...not great, but not bad....near normal on average, and even better across the southern half of the region.
Yes, I pretty much agree with everything else that you have stated here...I was just speaking to the intensity of la nina. In the early going, this la nina is definitely more of a modoki with the cool anomalies focused west.
NAO should be positive.
One thing that I would like to add is that the PNA and PDO, while generally positively correlated, are not necessarily always lock-in-step....so you need to be careful about assuming a predominantly RNA pattern. Last season for instance, featured one of the most negative PDO seasons on record, yet the mean DM PNA value was only very slightly negative. The pattern was actually mainly PNA after the record RNA month of December. Its also about where you live...here in New England, we do absolutely great with decidedly negative EPO and variable PNA...its further to the south that needs the decidedly +PNA.