2026-27 US Winter Forecast: Pockets of Snow as El Niño Strengthens

After a summer shaped by El Niño-fueled heat, the United States is expected to face a mostly mild winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. But the forecast includes several pockets where cold and snow could become much more intense.

The harshest conditions are expected in parts of the Appalachians, where temperatures could fall below normal and heavy snow is forecast for mid-January and February. Southern parts of the Northeast may also receive above-normal snowfall from mid-December through March.

Snowy conditions are also predicted across the Intermountain West, including parts of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada and Colorado. Temperatures in that region could remain above normal, but snowfall may still make travel difficult. Alaska’s snowiest periods are forecast for mid-November 2026, early and late January, mid-February and late March 2027.

Most of the country, including the Southeast, Deep South, Florida, Texas and the High Plains, is expected to have a warmer and drier winter. Florida, Texas and Oklahoma could see generally warmer conditions, although northern Oklahoma may still experience occasional snow.

The Almanac bases its seasonal outlook on ocean temperatures, high-altitude winds and solar cycles. El Niño, marked by warmer-than-average Pacific waters along the equator, typically pushes the jet stream southward. That pattern can bring wetter, cooler weather to the southern United States while keeping much of the country milder. The Indian Ocean Dipole, the polar vortex and the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation are also part of the forecast picture.