Now that fall has finally arrived, it’s time to look ahead to the upcoming holiday travel season and, more specifically, the types of weather we’ll face over the next few months. The Farmers’ Almanac has recently released the extended forecasts for the nation to give us an idea of what we can expect. Of course, predictions are not guarantees, but based on their experience monitoring the weather, here’s what the Farmers’ Almanac thinks we have in store for over the next few months.
The Return of La Niña
This year’s winter forecast is influenced by the return of La Niña, a climate pattern that typically results in below-average hurricane activity in the East Pacific and above-average activity in the Atlantic. Winter temperatures tend to be warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North. There’s a 71% chance that La Niña will emerge in September-November and is expected to persist through January-March 2025.
Above-Average Temperatures
For November 2024 though January 2025, much of the country will see above-average temperatures during the end of fall and early winter. The coldest temperatures of the season will likely be in the Northern Plains and Great Lakes region, with the coldest part of the winter expected to be the final week of January.
Prepare for Precipitation
A "wet winter whirlwind" is in store for much of the country, bringing in a season of rapid-fire storms that will bring both rain and snow, with little downtime in between. Here's the outlook for different parts of the country, per extended forecasts:
New England and the Northeast: Stormy with above-normal amounts of winter precipitation and near-to above-normal temperatures. Areas along the coast — especially along the I-95 corridor — will see sleet and rain, while the interior and mountainous terrains will likely see more snow.
Midwest: Average or above-average temperatures, with more precipitation expected than usual.
Texas, Southern Plains (Western Kansas, Oklahoma, and portions of Nebraska and New Mexico), Southeast and the Atlantic Coast: A warmish winter, with above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall.
Southwest: Average winter temperatures with below-average precipitation.
Pacific Northwest: Unseasonably chilly with more precipitation than usual.
