Direct Weather 2026-27 Snowfall Forecast Points to a Monster Sierra Nevada Season, Mixed Bag Elsewhere

Direct Weather’s new 2026-27 snowfall forecast points to an active winter across the western and eastern United States, with the Sierra Nevada and the northern Appalachians positioned for some of the season’s heaviest totals. The ski season snowfall forecast weighs precipitation and temperature trends against long-term averages for every major U.S. range.

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The forecast pairs seasonal precipitation and temperature outlooks with average annual snowfall data to project where the 2026-27 season will land above or below normal.

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Sierra Nevada and the Southwest

The Sierra Nevada carries the forecast’s highest confidence rating for above-average snowfall. Direct Weather points to well-above-average precipitation moving into California, Nevada, and Arizona, calling for what could be a historic winter in the range’s highest elevations. Colder-than-normal temperatures across the Southwest are expected to reinforce that trend by keeping more of the incoming moisture falling as snow.

• Related: Farmers’ Almanac Winter 2026-27 Forecast: Prepare for a Winter of Snow

Cascades and Northern Rockies

The mountain snow forecast is more mixed farther north. The Cascades and Rockies remain part of the country’s highest-elevation snowfall belt on average, but the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies are forecast to see below-average precipitation this season. Warmer-than-normal temperatures in those areas add further downward pressure on snowfall totals, a pattern Direct Weather attributes in part to a strong El Niño signal that has historically suppressed storm activity across the northern Plains and upper Midwest.

Great Lakes 2026-27 Snowfall Forecast: Lake-Effect Bands

Lake-effect regions remain among the snowiest in the country regardless of the broader pattern. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the northern and western edges of the Lower Peninsula, and areas near Erie, Pennsylvania, and western New York are again forecast to average more than 72 inches for the season.

The northern Appalachians carry a similar outlook. West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England’s higher elevations fall within the 48-to-72-inch range on average, while Vermont’s Green Mountains, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Massachusetts’ Berkshires, and northern Maine rank among the snowiest spots in the eastern U.S.

East Coast and Nor’easters

Further east, Direct Weather forecasts an active nor’easter season up the Atlantic Seaboard. Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected from the Southeast through the Northeast, a factor that typically favors snow over rain for storms tracking up the coast. The forecast assigns its highest confidence level for above-average snowfall chances to the stretch running from the Southeast through Maine.

Southern and Central Plains

Above-average snowfall chances also extend into the Southwest, south-central states, and much of the East, driven by the same storm track expected to fuel heavier snow in the Sierra Nevada. Direct Weather cautions that an “above-average chance” in traditionally low-snow areas, such as southern Texas or Florida, does not translate to a strong likelihood of snow — only a modest improvement over historically long odds.

Confidence Behind the 2026-2027 Snowfall Forecast

Direct Weather describes the underlying snowfall map as a high-resolution, hand-drawn product built from average annual totals, noting that elevation-driven variability in the western mountain ranges limits precision in some areas. The full forecast video is available on Direct Weather’s YouTube channel.