Key facts
- Northern regions, including the Northeast, Great Lakes, upper Midwest, and northern Rockies, are expected to have below-normal snowfall.
- The southern Rockies, parts of the Southeast, and the Southwest may receive more snow than usual.
- Drought conditions are expected to improve or end in western parts of Oregon and Washington, the Southwest, central and southern Rockies, the southern Great Plains, and the lower Mississippi Valley.
- California is anticipated to experience numerous atmospheric rivers, potentially leading to extensive flooding and landslides.
- Florida and parts of the Southeast face an increased risk of tornadoes this winter and early spring.
The United States is likely to experience a warmer and wetter winter, with El Niño influencing weather patterns to bring more moisture but higher temperatures, according to federal government forecasts and other meteorologists. While this pattern is expected to alleviate drought conditions in the West, northern regions may see below-normal snowfall. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted that the human-caused climate crisis has already warmed US winters by about 4F (2.2C) over the past 50 years.
Forecasters predict that much of the northern U.S., including the Northeast, Great Lakes, upper Midwest, and northern Rockies, will experience less snow than usual. Conversely, the southern Rockies, parts of the Southeast, and the Southwest could see above-normal snowfall. Private meteorology firms like AccuWeather concur, forecasting significantly reduced snowfall for cities such as Chicago, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Despite the overall trend, meteorologists emphasize that snowstorms are still possible, and the risk is not entirely eliminated. The current El Niño is expected to reach record levels, though its precise impact remains a subject of some uncertainty among experts due to a lack of historical precedent for such an event.