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Winter weather forecast released by NOAA for 2026-2027
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a very strong El Niño will drive the 2026-2027 U.S. winter, leading to warmer-than-normal temperatures across the northern states and increased storminess in the southern tier.
- The northern tier, including the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes, and New England, is expected to experience above-normal temperatures, while no region is predicted to have a colder-than-normal winter.
- Wetter-than-average conditions are likely across the southern U.S. from the Southwest to the Southeast and along the East Coast, with drought expected to improve in many southern areas but worsen in parts of the northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest.
- A stronger, more stable polar vortex due to El Niño may reduce the frequency of Arctic air outbreaks, though cold snaps and snowstorms remain possible but less likely.
- Other forecasts, such as AccuWeather, align with NOAA’s outlook, predicting a wetter, stormier southern U.S. winter and a warmer, less snowy northern U.S. winter.
