NEW YORK CITY – What awaits the winter of 2024-2025 in the New York metropolitan area?

Jump to: NOR'EASTER POTENTIAL l SNOW SUM l WINTER OUTLOOK

The Big Apple is bracing for another change in weather after last year's warmer-than-average winter. According to meteorologists and NOAA's US Winter Outlook, the upcoming winter will likely be influenced by a developing La Niña.

FOX 5 NYs Nick Gregory shared his winter weather outlook for this year, including the possibility of a nor'easter and his predictions for snow totals.

First day of winter 2024

Winter officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on December 21st with the winter solstice – the day with the least amount of daylight and the longest night.

La Niña occurs when cooler than average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean influence global weather patterns. The phenomenon typically brings drier and warmer conditions to the southern United States, while regions such as the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast experience cooler and wetter weather.

Effects of weather on La Nina. (FOX Weather)

“A La Niña pattern could result in above-average temperatures for NYC and snowfall at or just above average,” Gregory said. “Some previous La Nina winters have produced strong northeasterly winds and blizzards.”

However, La Niña is expected to be weak this year and may last only through the spring, making its impact on the Tri-State area more uncertain than in stronger La Niña years.

“The upcoming La Niña is expected to be fairly weak, meaning it could produce the characteristic effects of a more moderate La Niña,” Gregory said.

For New York City and the surrounding region, the La Niña pattern suggests a winter that could feature average to slightly below average temperatures.

NEW YORK CITY – JANUARY 30: People walk through Prospect Park in Brooklyn, a day after a storm brought heavy snow, freezing temperatures and strong winds to the area on January 30, 2022 in New York City. More than 30 cm of snow fell in large parts of the northeast

“There will always be nor’easter weather in NYC in the winter,” Gregory said. “The question will be how cold it will be when the storm hits the area. A weak La Niña could form a rain/snow battle line across the New York City area and surrounding suburbs.”

Gregory predicts the city could receive about $1.5 million 20 inches Snow this winter, compared to the typical seasonal average of 28 inches.

“We will likely have above-average temperatures this winter, along with more snow than last year, somewhere close 18-23″ but that is below the average snowfall for a winter in New York,” Gregory said.

According to early snowfall forecasts FOX 5 NYs Nick Gregory.

Meanwhile, the lower Hudson Valley could see a little more snowfall, with totals in between 20 and 25 inches, with more snowfall further north. Much of the winter can experience a mix of rain and snow along the coast, with heavier snow falling further north.

Historically, the first measurable snow (accumulation of an inch or more) tends to fall around New York City December 13th. The earliest measurable snowfall was on October 29, 2011, when 2.9 inches fell just days before Halloween.

NOAA

NOAA's broader winter outlook highlights that conditions will be wetter than average across the northern U.S., particularly in the Great Lakes region, where colder temperatures and above-average precipitation are expected. Meanwhile, the southern United States will likely experience a drier, warmer winter.

For the tri-state area, the region is expected to be on the edge of these patterns. A weak La Niña often causes squalls to take a more northerly direction, which can leave New York City in the middle of a battle between rain and snow all season long.

The Old Farmer's Almanac

The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a “softer than normal season” that is “not as rough and harsh” in the interior Northeast.

The Old Farmer's Almanac Winter Outlook for 2024-25. (The Old Farmer's Almanac)

The Interstate 95 corridor, which includes the Tri-State area, is expected to experience below-average snowfall in the north but above-average snowfall in the south, with the coldest temperatures occurring in early and late January and late February.

Farmers' Almanac Winter 2024

The Farmer's Almanac says, “Be prepared for a wet winter storm!” Their annual extended weather forecast calls for a season of severe storms that will bring both rain and snow.

The listing shows a very active storm track, bringing frequent heavy rainfall and strong and gusty winds across most of the eastern half of the country.

Here's a look at the Farmers' Almanac's extended winter 2025 weather forecast. (FOX Weather)

According to their forecast, the Northeast will be stormy with above-average amounts of winter precipitation and near-above-average temperatures.

They also predict that the heaviest snowfall will fall in inland and mountainous areas, while the coast will see sleet and rain – particularly near and along the I-95 corridor.

The Almanac has a “red flag” for the last week of January due to a very active storm track across most of the eastern half of the country.