NOAAS latest winter โoutlookโค forecasts a continuation of La Niรฑa conditions throughโค February 2026, bringing varied precipitation patternsโฃ across the United States. The Climate Prediction Center’s assessment, released today, details expected temperature andโ precipitation anomalies from December โthrough February, โขimpacting everything from regional water โคresources to winter travel.
This prolonged La Niรฑa โฃphase-lasting potentially into the spring of 2026-signals a important period of โคpredictable weather trends. The forecast is crucial forโข communities preparing โขfor potential drought, โขflooding, or altered heating demands.Understanding โฃthes patterns allows for proactive mitigation strategies, impacting sectors likeโค agriculture, energy, and emergencyโ management.
Forecasters anticipate above-normal precipitation across the Pacific Northwest, northern California, the northern Rockies, Great Plains,โ and โขwestern Greatโฃ Lakes. This aligns with typical La Niรฑa effects. โHowever, the southern tier of โthe country-including โคthe Southwest, southern Texas, โand the Southeast-is predictedโค to experience drier-than-normal conditions.
NOAA’s winter outlook does not include specific snowfall predictions, but the precipitation forecastsโฃ offer insights into potential winter storm activity. Outside the contiguous U.S., Alaska โis expected toโ see warmerโค temperatures in its โnorthwestern regions and cooler โคtemperatures in the panhandle, with varyingโค precipitation levels across the state. Aโฃ separate forecast is available โคfor theโค Hawaiian Islands.
The โฃoutlook is โbased on a comprehensive analysis ofโฃ climate models and historical data. Detailsโข on theโค full โฃforecast can be found at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/fxhw40.html. The informationโฃ was reportedโฃ by Nikki Nolanโ of CBS News.
