A Volatile Winter Is Coming: What El Niño Means for U.S. Homeowners, According to the Farmers’ Almanac 

Meteorologists have warned that the Super El Niño's full effect wouldn’t be felt until the upcoming fall and winter months. 

Now, the Farmers' Almanac is backing up those predictions, advising homeowners to prepare for a winter of “snow, sleet, and surprises.”

And it doesn’t matter where you live in the country. While different regions will experience dramatically different conditions, homeowners everywhere will have to contend with weather that could change at the drop of a hat. 

Winter outlook for 2026–27

The almanac’s 2026–27 winter outlook outlines a season defined by sharp contrasts and volatile conditions across the United States, driven largely by an active El Niño pattern.

According to the NOAA, an El Niño system tends to be strongest during the winter months. But because of the strength of the system being tracked this year, there are plenty of variables at play. 

“Every El Niño is not the same; each one is unique with its own imprint on our weather,” said Ken Graham, director, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS). "Advanced monitoring and an improved understanding of El Niño patterns allow the NWS to better predict and better prepare the public and our core partners for what is to come.”

Still, using the proprietary weather formula the Farmers’ Almanac has relied upon since its founding in 1818, there are some predictions that seem likely. 

The Southern states

El Niño will have the biggest impact across the southern third of the country, driving an active storm track from Southern California and the Desert Southwest through Texas, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. 

This means homeowners should brace for heavier-than-normal precipitation, frequent storm systems, and muddy field conditions. As the almanac points out, whenever cold air dips southward into this moisture-rich environment, winter storms could produce sleet, freezing rain, and heavy, wet snow. 

However, they also predict that the Southern Rockies are expected to fare particularly well for mountain snowpack.

The North, Midwest, and Great Lakes

Temperatures across the West, northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes are expected to average near normal overall, but conditions will be far from predictable. 

The region is set to experience frequent fast-moving clippers, sudden snow squalls, blustery winds, and brief surges of bitter cold. These cold snaps will be repeatedly interrupted by milder breaks, leading to rapid freezing and melting cycles that alter road and field conditions. 

The Northeast and mid-Atlantic

The Northeast faces an especially complicated forecast shaped by a secondary storm track along the Eastern Seaboard. Because temperatures will routinely hover near the freezing mark, small variations in atmospheric temperature or storm trajectory will determine whether systems deliver rain, sleet, or heavy snow.

Coastal zones will trend toward rain and mixed precipitation, while inland areas face severe risks of heavy, wet snowfall, particularly during January and February.

The Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is projected to have a changeable and less reliable winter season, marked by fluctuating snow levels and less consistent snowfall accumulation across the region.

How to prepare for the winter months

No matter where you live or what kind of winter is headed your way, there are more than a few ways to prepare for the season—and the sooner the better!

If you've been clearing out your gutters on the regular, you should be in good shape. Still, once every tree is bare, it's time for one final cleaning session to "avoid moisture building up against your house—and ice dams," says Derek Christian, the owner of Handyman Connection in Blue Ash, OH.

While you’re inspecting the upper echelons of your home, you may also want to take a peek in your attic. Before winter sets in, make sure it’s properly insulated to keep your heat in and your bills low. Also, this is a good way to ensure no uninvited guests have made their way into the home. 

"Make sure any gaps and holes into your attic are sealed tight," Christian says. "As winter approaches, critters will be looking for somewhere to spend it."

Lastly, no matter how you heat your home, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re safe if a fire breaks out. 

"With all these heat sources in use, homeowners must take precautions to protect themselves from house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning," says Sophie Kaemmerle, a home improvement expert with NeighborWho, a property information website.