Good News for Skiers: A Strong El Niño Is Set to Boost Snowfall for These States

Ski conditions in six U.S. states are likely to make up for last year's dismal snow season thanks to a super-powered El Niño phase. What states are forecast to see above-normal snowfall this year? Read on for all of the details.

Six Western States Expected to Be Hit with More Snow This Winter

Weather forecasters are predicting that snow will land above the historical average in six western states. According to the annual snowfall expectation report from Powder.com, the Sierra Nevada in California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado are in store for a snowy winter as El Niño continues to intensify.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is now predicting that El Niño will linger through the early spring season in 2027, working to fuel the snow machine across much of the Sierra Nevada, the Wasatch Mountains, and Colorado Rockies.

Unfortunately for ski enthusiasts in other parts of the country, a strengthening El Niño is likely to translate to below-normal snowfall totals. For example, the Pacific Northwest generally sees a warmer and drier winter season during El Niño years. As such, it could be another year of sparse snow season for ski resorts in Washington and Idaho. Elsewhere in the Northwest, the southern tier of Oregon will benefit from what is expected to be a more active storm track bringing more snow to the higher elevations this winter.

The rest of the northern U.S., stretching across the northern Rockies, the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes, and New England, should be ready for lower snowfall totals when compared to the average.