NOAA’s National Weather Service Winter Outlook has been released. This outlook shows the likely temperature and precipitation the U.S. could experience during meteorological winter (December 1, 2025 through February 28, 2026) and drought conditions through January 31, 2026. Here are the highlights:
Credit: NOAA
La Niña conditions are expected to develop later this fall and will be a factor in the winter outlook. A milder-than-average winter is favored across the southern tier of the country and along the Eastern Seaboard. Wetter-than-average conditions for the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes region, along with most of Alaska, are also favored. Drier-than-average conditions are forecast in the desert Southwest, along the Gulf Coast, and from Florida to the Carolinas. Drought conditions are expected to persist and worsen from southern Texas to California.
Credit: NOAA
NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide the likelihood that average temperature and total precipitation for the three-month period will be above-, near- or below-average and how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. Keep In Mind: The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance, and cold weather can still be experienced in areas that are warmer-than-normal over the course of the season.
