As winter sets in, residents across the region are wondering what this winter has in store, and the latest forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), AccuWeather, and The Old Farmer’s Almanac offer insights.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center anticipates a milder winter with a greater likelihood of warmer temperatures for the months of December through February 2025.
The agency points to a 57 percent chance of a weak La Niña influencing weather patterns across much of the U.S.
NOAA also expects the drought conditions that started in early fall to improve by January.
“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.
According to the National Weather Service, La Niña is characterized by the cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and it often means varying impacts on winter conditions.
NOAA does not provide regional snowfall forecasts.
AccuWeather predicts below-average snowfall and above-average temperatures overall but notes that cities like New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh could see more snow than last winter due to increased snowfall opportunities in February.
“The heart of the ski season can be rough in the East,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been providing weather forecasts since 1792, calls for a mild and dry winter in the region with temperatures slightly above average and snowfall totals slightly below normal.
Data from NOAA indicates that Trenton, New Jersey, averages about 24 inches of snow annually.
Last winter, Trenton reported receiving 15 inches of snow, 2 inches in 2023, 16.4 inches in 2022, 27.3 inches in 2021, 6.8 inches in 2020, 12.4 inches in 2019, 28.8 inches in 2018, and 31.3 inches in 2017.
The record yearly snowfall for Trenton was 60 inches in the 1996 season.
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