Map Shows Where America Is Bracing For Heavy Snow This WinterThe Farmers' Almanac's 2026-27 winter forecast names two US regions for heavy snow and a third for sudden squalls as a potentially record El Niño builds. The publication has issued long-range forecasts since 1818 from a formula built on solar activity, sunspot cycles, lunar motion, and observed weather patterns, setting each one in print months before the season it covers.That approach is very different from the hourly model runs behind National Weather Service forecasts, yet the Almanac's outlook still draws attention every fall. The regional differences matter for drivers too, since wet snow, lake-effect squalls, and freezing rain each create very different road conditions.Where The Almanac Expects Snow This WinterThe Almanac marks out the regions where it expects heavy snow this winter, and it has published a zone-by-zone map with its outlook for each part of the country.Interior NortheastInland areas and higher ground in Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine carry the Almanac's heaviest snow call, with several rounds of heavy, wet snow expected, mostly in January and February. Coastal cities such as New York and Boston are more likely to see rain or a wintry mix. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center also expects a wet winter in the region, with its seasonal precipitation outlook favoring above-normal precipitation along the Atlantic coast into the Northeast from December through February.Southern Rockies And PlainsThe Almanac's second heavy-snow area covers Colorado's ranges and the mountains of New Mexico, where it expects the southern Rockies to fare especially well for snowfall. East of the mountains, across the North Central states, it forecasts frequent swings between thawing and freezing, while the northern Plains could turn drier at times with brief but intense bursts of cold, wind, and snow.Great Lakes And MidwestAcross Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin, the Almanac expects cold, snowy periods rather than a heavy-snow winter, but it warns of sudden snow squalls farther north and tells snowbelt communities downwind of the lakes to be ready for them, with January typically the peak of lake-effect season. The Climate Prediction Center leans slightly toward a drier-than-normal winter for the Great Lakes, though it describes that signal as weak.El Niño And The Winter Storm TrackAccording to the Almanac, El Niño usually shifts the storm track south, bringing the southern tier of the country more moisture and more frequent storms. The Climate Prediction Center's September 10 ENSO discussion gives a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño through fall and winter 2026-27, and a 75% chance that October through December brings an event stronger than any recorded since 1950. That southern track is also why the Almanac warns of sleet, freezing rain, and heavy, wet snow across the Southeast whenever colder air surges in.The Almanac reads that setup as quick cold snaps and sudden squalls across the North, broken up by milder stretches in between.Winter Driving In This Season's Snow RegionsThe different snow patterns also create different problems for drivers. Heavy, wet snow in the interior Northeast compacts into ice under traffic faster than dry powder, while a Great Lakes squall can drop visibility to near zero on an otherwise clear interstate. Greg Devoir, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in State College, Pennsylvania, has pointed out that "road surface temperatures can be well above freezing when a squall arrives," so snow that melts on contact can flash freeze as the pavement cools.All-wheel drive helps a car pull away on snow but does nothing for braking on ice, which leaves the job to the tires. Their pressure drops by roughly 1 to 2 psi for every 10-degree fall in temperature, so pressure and tread are worth checking before the first storm.