Winter is still more than two months away, but a new map from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is offering an early look at which parts of the United States could be in for a snowy season.
NOAA’s latest seasonal outlook covers December 2026 through February 2027, the three months that make up meteorological winter. And with a “Godzilla-level” El Niño strengthening in the Pacific, the precipitation map shows a broad area of wetter-than-normal conditions stretching across the southern United States and up much of the East Coast.
For colder parts of that region, more precipitation could also mean more opportunities for snow.
Where Could It Be Snowiest This Winter?
NOAA
The most important thing to understand about NOAA’s map is that it does not directly forecast snowfall. Instead, it shows where total precipitation is more likely to finish above or below normal during the three-month period.
Still, there are some intriguing signals for snow lovers.
NOAA says wetter-than-normal conditions are favored along the Atlantic Coast all the way into New England during the winter months. That puts parts of the Northeast in an interesting position: If storms moving through the region encounter sufficiently cold air, that additional precipitation could fall as snow.
The Mid-Atlantic could also see an active winter storm track, although whether individual storms produce snow, rain or a wintry mix will depend on temperatures at the time.
Related: Rare September Nor’easter Could Slam East Coast With 70 MPH Winds and 15-Foot Waves; Millions Face Weekend Impacts
California is another area to watch. NOAA currently favors above-normal precipitation across the state, with probabilities reaching 50 to 60% near the coast during the heart of winter. While much of that precipitation would fall as rain at lower elevations, storms could deliver significant snow to the Sierra Nevada and other higher elevations.
Across the southern Plains, NOAA puts the probability of above-normal winter precipitation as high as 40 to 50%. The signal gets even stronger along parts of the Gulf and Southeast coasts, reaching 70 to 80% around southern Georgia and northern Florida.
Those warmer areas aren’t necessarily headed for a snowy winter, of course. The map forecasts precipitation, not the form that precipitation will take.
Related: Atlantic Hurricane Season Breaks 112-Year Record; NOAA Data Shows Not a Single Hurricane Has Formed in 2026
A Powerful El Niño Could Shape the Winter
One reason forecasters are watching the 2026-27 winter so closely is the rapidly strengthening El Niño.
NOAA said in its Sept. 17 outlook that there is a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño during the fall and winter. Forecasters also put the odds of the event reaching historic strength during the October-through-December period at 75%.
Strong El Niño events can shift the jet stream and storm track across the United States, often bringing wetter conditions across the southern part of the country.
That’s reflected in NOAA’s current winter forecast. The agency describes a wet pattern across the southern and central U.S. that extends northward along the Atlantic Coast into New England as the “dominant precipitation signal” for the coming winter.
Not everyone is looking at a wetter season, however. NOAA currently favors somewhat drier-than-normal conditions in parts of the interior Northwest and Great Lakes region.
And none of the outlook means a particular city is guaranteed to get buried in snow.
Seasonal forecasts show the likelihood of broader patterns over several months. They cannot predict individual snowstorms this far in advance, and a wetter-than-normal winter can still include long dry stretches.
But with a potentially historic El Niño developing and NOAA already favoring an active storm track across a huge portion of the country, there could be plenty for snow watchers to keep an eye on as winter gets closer.
Related: ‘Godzilla’ El Niño Has 75% Chance to Become Historic; Here’s What It Could Unleash This Winter