New York City is forecast to receive between 17 and 21 inches of snow during the 2025-2026 winter season, according to AccuWeather predictions released this week. The forecast represents an increase from the less than 13 inches that fell last winter.
Buffalo is expected to see significantly higher totals, with forecasters predicting 90 to 100 inches of snow for the western New York region. Despite the increase, the overall snow totals for New York City are expected to measure well under the city’s winter average of 29.8 inches, AccuWeather stated.
AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok indicated that storm systems from western Canada could bring snow to the region as early as December. “In December, we think there’s going to be some [storm] systems coming out of western Canada and diving into the middle of the country, then coming along the mid-Atlantic coast,” Pastelok stated.
The meteorologist noted these storms could arrive “just before the holidays.”
Weather patterns mirror last year despite La Niña conditions
Although weather patterns this fall have been nearly identical to last year, storms may move from the middle and western parts of the United States to the East Coast, bringing significant snow accumulation. “Our forecast numbers for New York City are conservative right now, but we’re still watching out for the potential for it to be a higher impact season,” Pastelok said.
The Climate Prediction Center has indicated a 71 percent chance of La Niña influencing the climate from October to December 2025. La Niña is the cool phase of a natural, recurring climate cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
Temperature outlook and February cold blast potential
Temperatures for New York City are expected to be average for most of the winter season. However, an “intense cold blast” could travel from the middle of the country to the East Coast starting in early February, according to Pastelok.
“So February looks a little bit colder and we could start to see some more storms come out from the southwest direction, which we saw last year, but whether it could still be mixing [between rain and snow] is the concern,” Pastelok stated. “We could see some travel problems.”
Climate Prediction Center forecasts for October to December
Climate Prediction Center maps show much of the country is favored to see above-average temperatures from October to December 2025. Areas of the Southwest, including parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as parts of the Northeast including New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine were highlighted as regions most likely to experience above-average temperatures during this period.
In terms of precipitation, the Climate Prediction Center highlighted the southern half of Florida and the Northwest as regions most likely to see above-average levels from October to December. Parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee were among the areas more likely to see below-average precipitation.
Michelle L’Heureux, a scientist with the Climate Prediction Center, noted that precipitation outlooks “do not just incorporate La Niña information; they will also include longer term trends. But for precipitation in particular, the main driver usually is La Niña [or El Niño] when they are occurring.”
AccuWeather long-range temperature forecast
Paul Pastelok provided additional context for the monthly temperature outlook. “[AccuWeather’s forecast is] similar to the CPC’s for October, but there can be some cooling mid-month across the northern Rockies and Plains of significance. However, the departures on the front side of the month from the Plains to the East are going to be high above average,” Pastelok stated.
He added: “In November, more cool fronts pushing through the northern Rockies, parts of the Plains and Midwest can lead to more cooling. Confidence is a bit lower in November, but higher in December. The Southwest, southern Plains, and East will have difficulties sustaining cool airmasses and thus will most likely end up at least average to above average on temperatures.”
The Climate Prediction Center updates its seasonal forecasts for temperature and precipitation on the third Thursday of every month.
as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!
