Winter is right around the corner, and El Niño could play a big role in how the season unfolds across the United States. From warmer temperatures in the North to wetter conditions across the South, here's what you need to know about the upcoming winter.

El Niño Could Bring a Wetter Southern U.S.

One of the biggest factors influencing this winter's forecast is El Niño, a climate pattern involving warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific.

El Niño can shift the jet stream farther south, creating a more active storm track across the southern United States.

Wetter-than-average conditions are favored across portions of the southern U.S., including parts of California, the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Southeast.

A Warmer Winter for Much of the Country?

Above-average temperatures are favored across much of the northern United States, including the Pacific Northwest, northern Plains, Midwest, and parts of the Northeast.

Farther south, temperatures are more likely to be near seasonal averages, although that doesn't mean cold snaps are off the table. Even during an overall warmer winter, Arctic air can still make its way south.

What About Snow?

A wetter winter doesn't automatically mean a snowier one!

While an active storm track can increase opportunities for winter precipitation, temperatures still need to be cold enough for snow to develop.

For parts of the South, some of these systems may bring heavy rain or severe thunderstorms instead. Farther north, individual storms could still produce significant snowfall, even in areas expected to experience a warmer-than-average winter.

What This Outlook Really Means

Seasonal outlooks highlight broad temperature and precipitation trends over several months. They don't predict individual snowstorms, cold snaps, or exactly what the weather will look like on any given day.

El Niño could influence where storms travel this winter, but it won't determine every weather event.

Stay tuned to WeatherBug for the latest forecasts as winter approaches.