As summer draws to a close and winter draws nearer, Newsweek compared three forecasts for winter 2025 to see how they stack up.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts that most of the U.S. will experience a fairly mild winter in 2025—2026, with temperatures close to normal or “slightly milder.” The main exceptions are in the Southeast, Florida, the Appalachians, and the Ohio Valley, where colder-than-normal conditions are expected.
Precipitation is forecast to be below normal in much of the U.S., with widespread dry spells dominating the season. Still, some regions may buck that trend. Florida, the southern High Plains, the Intermountain West, and parts of the eastern Desert Southwest could actually end up wetter than usual, according to the publication.
Snowfall, too, is projected to be near or below normal in many places, but not everywhere. Heavier snowfalls are likely in the Carolinas, the southern Appalachians, the eastern Ohio Valley, the southern Rockies, and parts of the Desert Southwest, it said.
The Farmer’s Almanac
Meanwhile, The Farmer’s Almanac, a separate publication to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, anticipates the coldest outbreaks from the Northern Plains to New England and snow risks across parts of the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic.
The publication forecast frequent snowstorms for New England, mixed rain and snow along the Atlantic coast, classic winter conditions for the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and North Central states, and significant mountain snow in the Pacific Northwest.
The Southeast was expected to experience average temperatures paired with several stretches of wet weather, while northern parts of the region might see occasional snow.
Wetter-than-usual conditions are expected across the Southwest and Texas/Southern Plains, though snowfall should remain scarce in southern areas.
Climate Prediction Center
In its latest season outlook for the December-February period, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) indicated that the areas most likely to see above-normal temperatures during this window included Maine, central and southern Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, as well as parts of California, Nevada, and western Texas. Alaska too could see higher than average temperatures in parts.
Meanwhile, Washington and parts of Oregon could see below-normal temperatures, according to the outlook.
In terms of precipitation, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas could see above-normal precipitation, as could Kentucky, Indiana, Idaho, and Ohio, as well as parts of Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Missouri.
States with the highest chances of below-normal precipitation included parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
The outlooks are framed in terms of probabilities—for instance, a 40 percent chance of “below average”—meaning they will not guarantee what will happen for a given season, Michelle L’Heureux, a scientist with the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) previously explained to Newsweek.
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