The Farmers' Almanac winter forecast maps January as the snowiest month in most of the United States, using NOAA climate data from 1991 to 2020. That gives readers a state-by-state guide to when snowfall usually peaks, rather than a single national average.
The map also points to exceptions. California's heaviest snowfall holds off until February, and New Mexico stands alone in the Southwest.
NOAA data from 1991 to 2020
The seasonal map compares snowfall patterns across the country by month and identifies the point when each state typically gets its heaviest snow. The Farmers' Almanac based that map on official NOAA climate data covering 1991 to 2020.
That method makes the map more specific than a broad winter outlook. It does not forecast the exact amount of snow for a given storm; it shows the month when snow has most often piled up the most in that state over the data period.
January across the United States
January is the statistically snowiest month from Maine to Washington. It is also the peak month in many Midwestern, Great Lakes, New England, and Southern states.
Boston shows how the pattern works in practice. The city averages 14.9 inches of snowfall in January, compared with 12.0 inches in December.
California and New Mexico
The main exception is California, where the heaviest snowfall arrives in February rather than January. New Mexico is the lone outlier in the Southwest, which makes the regional pattern less uniform than the national map first suggests.
That unevenness matters because NOAA is forecasting over an 83% chance of a super-strong Super El Niño persisting through March 2027. A strong Super El Niño can shift snowfall timing and amounts by steering the jet stream differently, so the month that usually peaks may not be the month that delivers the most snow this winter.
For readers tracking winter plans, the practical takeaway is simple: use the map as a guide to the usual peak month in your state, then keep an eye on how this season's pattern develops around that baseline.
