After making it through July—otherwise known as the hottest month ever recorded on Earth—some chilly winter weather might sound refreshing. But will the winter of 2023-2024 mimic last year’s, with minimal snow and unseasonably warm temperatures? Or will it provide our next dose of extremes, delivering bitter cold and plenty of precipitation? And either way, how will it affect holiday travel?
The Farmers’ Almanac has just released predictions for the winter of 2023-2024, and we could be in for a wild ride. Here’s what to know.
What kind of winter weather does the Farmers’ Almanac predict for the 2023-2024 season?
Of course, predictions are not guarantees, but based on more than 200 years of monitoring the weather, the Farmers’ Almanac has issued the following extended forecast for the summer of 2023-2024:
The return of El Niño
El Niño refers to a climate pattern that produces unusually warm surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, off the coast of South America. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), South American fishermen first noticed the weather pattern in the 1600s, and named it “El Niño de Navidad,” because it typically peaks around December.
The Farmers’ Almanac expects El Niño to return towards the end of 2023, and stick around until 2024, bringing cold temperatures, snow, sleet, and ice throughout the country.
An early start to winter
Although winter doesn’t officially start until December 21, the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a stormy start to the month, followed by the potential for blizzard conditions in northern New England, the North Central States, and northern and central areas of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Those living in or traveling to any of those regions over the holidays might want to take this wintery forecast into consideration before booking anything.
Overall, a cold and wet season
Unlike last year, where some regions had an unusually mild winter, the first few months of 2024 will see a return to typical winter conditions. Here’s the Farmers’ Almanac’s 2024 winter forecast for different parts of the country:
Great Lakes, Midwest, central and northern New England: Below-average temperatures and a lot of snow, sleet, ice, and rain.
Pacific Northwest: An unusually snowy and wet winter.
California and the Southwest: Large amounts of rain and snow.
Great Plains and Rockies: Cold temperatures and occasional bouts of storminess, bringing widespread rain and snow.
Texas: Unseasonably cold weather throughout January and February, with a possible major winter storm in mid-January.
The Southeast and Florida: Wetter-than-normal winter, with mostly average temperatures, with the exception of a few frosts.
I-95 corridor from Washington to Boston: Lots of rain, sleet, and snowstorms.