Overview
- NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said on Monday there is about an 81 percent chance that a very strong El Niño will be present in early winter, a development that helps shape seasonal storm tracks.
- The Farmer’s Almanac released its 2026–2027 outlook on August 10 and projects a stormier, wetter pattern across the southern tier from the Desert Southwest through the Gulf Coast and Southeast.
- The Northeast is described as facing a “tricky winter” with temperatures often near freezing and January–February flagged as the peak months for rounds of heavy, wet snow and mixed precipitation.
- Forecasts warn that frequent temperature swings and near‑freezing conditions make precipitation type hard to predict, raising the risk of icy mixes, sudden thaws, travel disruptions, and localized power outages.
- Long‑range almanac guidance is coarse by nature: the Farmer’s Almanac cites an 80–85 percent regional accuracy rate while meteorologists note inherent uncertainty and say operational forecasts will refine risks as the season approaches.