“Stormy Winter” Ahead: Forecasters Predict High Heating Bills for Millions

The Farmer’s Almanacs. NOAA. OpenSnow. Chris Tomer. Direct Weather. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about what the upcoming winter and associated ski season will look like in North America.

Forecasters AccuWeather also have a take.

In a press release on Thursday, October 2, 2025, the company announced that parts of the country should prepare for a “stormy winter.” As a consequence, “higher heating bills” are expected for “millions of Americans.”

According to AccuWeather’s long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok, the Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Northeast, and parts of the mid-Atlantic may see intense weather in the coming months. 

“Minneapolis to the Chicago suburbs and areas north of Kansas City could have the coldest air overall this winter,” he said in the press release. “The demand for heating will likely be well above average in the upper Midwest this winter.”

For skiers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, that’s likely welcome news, but what about the rest of the country, and where might the most snow fall? Cold temperatures make for great snowmaking conditions, but a bit—or a lot—of the natural stuff is preferable. 

Don’t worry. AccuWeather has a flakes forecast, too. Keep reading for more.

Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.

AccuWeather’s 2025-26 Winter Snowfall Predictions

AccuWeather, in its long-range winter forecasting, acknowledges that NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Niña watch. By now, most skiers know what the arrival of that climate phenomenon might mean: above-average snowfall across the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies; less powder in the south.

AccuWeather’s winter snowfall map, which includes departures from historical averages—not how much more it might snow—roughly mirrors the usual La Niña pattern. For skiers at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, or Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington, the deck appears to be stacked in your favor, with some caveats. 

For one, NOAA believes La Niña will arrive this fall, but beyond December, the odds of it continuing drop to 54%. Second, the La Niña could be weak, and a weak La Niña tends to have less consistent impacts on climate patterns.

Check out AccuWeather’s snow departures forecast map below.

Still, whether or not La Niña develops, AccuWeather said “some aspects of the winter weather can resemble a season when La Niña is present, such as the warmer weather expected across the southern tier of the country.”

Something else to watch out for: AccuWeather highlighted an ongoing marine heat wave in the northern Pacific Ocean. 

“If sea surface temperatures remain above normal just off the West Coast for much of the winter season, temperature departures can be higher and precipitation much lower in the Northwest,” said Pastelok.

Related: Tradition Preserved—Idaho Officials Save Bogus Basin’s Quirky Superstition