FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2026 19
"Understanding the Weather" – A Series by Mel Zeldin, Retired Meteorologist
For the Winter 2026 months, outlooks for temperature and
precipitation from the Climate Prediction Center are shown below.
For temperatures, in Figure 1, the projections are for slightly
above normal conditions for much of the southern states, including
Southern California, as well as the east coast states. Colder than
normal temperatures are projected for the northern states from
Washington to Michigan.
For precipitation, in Figure 2, Southern California is indicated
to have slightly below normal rainfall. This would suggest that we
will have some storms, but less than in a normal year. The greatest
chances for above-normal precipitation are in the northern states
from Washington to Michigan and in the northern two-thirds of the
states adjacent to the Mississippi River.
With relatively drier conditions, there is also a slightly greater-
than-normal likelihood of windy days.
Winter 2026 Weather Outlook
Fig 2. Precipitation outlook for winter 2026 Fig 1. Temperature outlook for winter 2026
