En esta noticia
According to the National Weather Service and AccuWeather, winter may be arriving earlier than expected. Snow is predicted in 11 US states this week, while the country is still in the fall season.
However, the official meteorological winter does not begin until December 1, 2026. The astronomical winter season starts later, on December 21, just a few days before Christmas.
Winter may be arriving earlier in the United States
The United States is facing changing weather conditions as colder air moves into parts of the West. The National Weather Service and AccuWeather have identified areas where early-season snow could affect higher elevations, while other locations may experience rain instead.
A new report from AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill, provided exclusively to Men’s Journal, points to snowfall in the northern Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains. The forecast covers the week of October 26 through October 31, meaning some mountain communities could experience wintry conditions before Halloween.
Parts of the northern Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains could see snow as colder conditions reach higher elevations across the West. However, snowfall is expected to remain concentrated in mountain areas rather than spread evenly across all 11 states, with conditions varying between high peaks and lower-lying communities.
The NWS’s latest forecast also points to mountain snow across the Northwest through midweek. Snow levels in the Washington Cascades are expected to drop to around 3,000 feet on Wednesday, increasing the possibility of snowfall at lower elevations than earlier in the week.
The 11 US states that could receive snow this week
According to AccuWeather’s outlook shared with Men’s Journal, the 11 states that could see snowfall are:
- Washington.
- Oregon.
- California.
- Nevada.
- Idaho.
- Montana.
- Wyoming.
- Utah.
- Colorado.
- Arizona.
- New Mexico.
These states cover a broad area of the western United States, where mountain elevation will play a major role in determining where snow develops. The forecast does not mean that every community in these states will experience snowfall, as lower-lying areas may see different weather conditions.
As October draws to a close, the outlook points to a limited round of early-season snow across parts of the West. Residents and travelers should check local forecasts before heading into mountain areas, where conditions can change considerably with elevation.