La Niña Winter Could Be Cold And Snowy In Michigan

MICHIGAN — A La Niña climate pattern is expected to bring cold and snowy weather to Michigan this coming winter, according to a new extended forecast.

Overall, The Farmers’ Almanac winter 2025 forecast calls for “a season of rapid-fire storms that will bring both rain and snow, with little downtown in between.”

La Niña, a term that describes the periodic cooling of surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, is expected to develop and continue to bring wet, cold weather to most of the country throughout winter, which begins with the winter solstice on Dec. 21. Meteorological winter begins Dec. 1.

In Michigan, multiple periods of wet snow and rain will begin falling in early November with "frigidly cold" temperatures, according to the forecast.

The rain and snow will continue through Thanksgiving, but should taper off in December, meaning a "white Christmas" is unlikely this year, according to the forecast.

Michiganders can expect some of the coldest temperatures of the winter during the final week of January into the beginning of February, according to the forecast.

The forecast noted a very active storm with "copious amounts of snow, rain, sleet and ice" could hit between sometime between January 20-27.

Another "rapidly moving storm" could bring 2-5 inches of wet snow to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and the lower peninsula of Michigan in mid-March, according to the forecast.

The outlook comes with a “red flag” advisory for Jan. 20-27, when forecasters expect an active storm track to deliver frequent bouts of heavy precipitation, as well as strong and gusty winds. That could mean heavy snow, rain, sleet or ice across much of the country, the forecast said.

Also, a snowstorm at the beginning of February could bring at least 6 inches of snow to Texas and double that amount in the Bitterroot Mountain range of Idaho, the forecast said.

Wet conditions are expected to prevail across the eastern third of the country, especially in the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Midwest and Pacific Northwest regions. The Southwest and South Central states are on track for a winter with average to below-average precipitation, according to the forecast.

The Northern Plains and Great Lakes regions are expected to experience the coldest temperatures of winter, and areas east of the Rockies and the Appalachians could see periods of cold weather, the forecast said. A blast of frigid Arctic air is expected to plunge temperatures nationwide the final week of January and early February, especially across the Northern Plains. The Great Lakes area could see heavy snow showers and snow squalls, the forecast said.

New England and the Northeast are expected to be stormy with above-normal precipitation and near-to-above-normal temperatures. Interior and mountainous terrains are expected to see snow, while sleet and rain are more likely in coastal areas, especially along the Interstate 95 corridor.

Winter is expected to be on the warm side with above-average temperatures in Texas, the Southern Plains and across the Southeast and Atlantic Coast. The forecast also calls for average winter temperatures in the Southwest and an unseasonably chilly winter in the Pacific Northwest.