A new forecast model predicts that the impact of a historic El Niño will completely flip America's winter, bringing snow to some areas that saw next to none last year.

Meteorologists at AccuWeather revealed their updated 2027 predictions on Friday, showing 12 states are in line to see more snow than they do in an average winter.

Those states include California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

Meanwhile, states across the entire northern half of the US are predicted to see historically lower snow totals between October 2026 and April 2027.

Parts of at least 30 states, from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes to New England, are all expected to see warmer and drier air this winter, resulting in far fewer snowstorms in the coming months.

Compared to the big snow totals from last year, in cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Chicago, AccuWeather has forecasted that these areas will likely see less than half of the snow which fell 12 months ago.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said in a statement: 'The primary storm track, particularly in the first part of winter, will be across the southern US and leave many areas in the Plains void of snow.'

The weather service noted that the seismic shift in this year's winter is the result of global weather patterns being flipped by El Niño, the natural weather phenomenon that emerges when the Pacific Ocean becomes abnormally warm.

AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said: 'This has the potential to be the strongest El Niño on record.'

Pastelok revealed in the Friday announcement that the El Niño that emerged this summer is projected to surpass similar events in 1982-83 and 1997-98, with temperatures in the Pacific predicted to rise by nearly five degrees Fahrenheit. 

In the US, this warming pushes the natural jet stream flowing over the center of the country farther south, bringing moisture and storms to many southern states that rarely see snow during winter.

Cities such as Las Vegas, Nevada and Albuquerque, New Mexico are expected to be in the zone seeing above average snowfall this winter. The last major snow event in Las Vegas came in 2008.

Meanwhile, cities that saw several feet of snow between 2025 and 2026 are expected to need their shovels far less frequently over the next six months.

AccuWeather noted that Boston, Massachusetts, saw nearly 63 inches of snow last winter, but is only expected to get between 15 and 30 by April.

A similar story is predicted to play out in New York, where New York City received 43 inches and Buffalo was buried by 92 inches last year.

In 2027, the Big Apple is only forecasted to get 10 to 20 inches, while Buffalo could see as little as 55 inches – roughly half the total that falls in a normal winter for the snowy New York town.

'While we are forecasting below-average snow, it only takes one storm to flip the script, especially for the East Coast cities,' Pastelok noted. 

'So that is something we have to watch, especially as we get into late January and February.'

Overall, the Northeast is expected to see the average daily temperature stay two to four degrees hotter than a normal winter.

It will be even hotter in parts of northern Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, where temps are forecasted to be over five degrees higher from December to February 2027.

'The heating demand across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Northeast will be much less compared to 2025 based on our forecast,' Pastelok added.

However, it will be the complete opposite in the Southwest, Rocky Mountains and along the Gulf Coast, where Las Vegas, Phoenix, Houston and New Orleans are all predicted to face an uncharacteristically harsh and cold winter. 

Many areas that saw historically mild winters last year will see snow return to the forecast in a major way in 2027.

AccuWeather's forecast called for 50 to 65 inches of snow this winter in Salt Lake City, Utah. The city received a record-low 3.7 inches last year. 

Typically snowy Denver, Colorado, only got 27.3 inches last winter. The new forecast predicted a return to normal, with 45 to 55 inches falling this winter.

The AccuWeather team previously told the Daily Mail that the record-breaking intensity of El Niño this year will likely continue to affect US weather patterns throughout 2027 – potentially setting up even more climate uncertainty heading into 2028.