Rockies and Northwest Ski Towns Get a Wetter Fall, Almanac Predicts

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Fall 2026 forecast, released July 10, points to a split season for ski country. Coastal regions should run cooler than normal. The nation’s interior should run warmer. For skiers and riders watching the mountains, the forecast offers early clues, though the full winter outlook is still months away.

• Related: El Niño Has Arrived. The 2026-27 Ski Forecast Just Got More Reliable — and More Complicated

A warm interior, cool coasts

The Almanac’s national forecast calls for above-average temperatures across the Northern Plains, the Heartland, and the Deep South through September and October. Most of the eastern U.S. and the Pacific Coast should stay cooler than average over the same stretch. Rainfall should run below average nationwide, with pockets of wetter weather along the West Coast, the central and northern Rockies, parts of Texas, southern Florida, and the Northeast.

• Related: Winter Is 100 Days Away: Loveland Snowmaking 2026 Countdown Begins

Old Farmer’s Almanac Fall 2026 Outlook: The Role of El Niño

The Almanac ties the pattern to El Niño. Warmer Pacific waters can shift the jet stream, and that shift steers where rain, snow, and cold air travel across North America later in the year.

Pacific Northwest: cooler and wetter

Ski country in Washington and Oregon should see a cooler, wetter fall than usual. September alone could bring up to three inches more rain than normal, a wet start that mountain towns will welcome ahead of the winter build-up.

Rockies Ski Resorts in the Fall 2026 Forecast

The Almanac’s precipitation map shows above-average rainfall stretching through the central and northern Rockies this fall. In the Intermountain region, the northern half should run cooler than average while the south trends warmer, with precipitation overall running slightly above normal. Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming resorts sit in this zone.

Desert Southwest Ski Areas: What to Expect

Ski areas in Arizona and New Mexico face a different picture. September should run warmer than average, with a slight cool-down in October. Rainfall should stay below average through both months, offering little early-season relief.

Northeast and Appalachians: cooler, mixed moisture

New England ski country should see a cooler fall with more rain than usual, about an inch above average along the coast. Farther inland, the Appalachians should run cooler and drier, with September temperatures tracking roughly two degrees below normal.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Winter 2026–2027 Outlook: Still to Come

The Almanac’s only direct early-snow signal comes from Alaska. Northern Alaska should run cooler than average this fall, and the Almanac notes northern locations could see an early chance of snow. The rest of the outlook stops at October and does not extend into ski season proper. The Almanac’s Winter 2026–2027 forecast, which will address snowfall totals and storm timing at individual resorts, has not yet been released. Editors at Almanac.com say they are tracking El Niño’s strength, the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, and other atmospheric signals before publishing the full winter outlook in the 2027 edition.

A note on accuracy

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has published long-range forecasts since 1792 using a mix of solar science, climatology, and meteorology. The publication claims roughly 80 percent accuracy for its forecasts, though independent reviews by meteorologists have put the figure closer to 50 percent. SnowBrains will report on the Almanac’s winter outlook, along with other long-range forecasts, once more data becomes available.