‘Snowy Nor’easters’: Here’s What To Expect From Winter 2025-26 In VA

Millions of people across the United States are in for a stormy winter this year, and Virginians are likely to experience some of the season's wrath, according to a new forecast.

AccuWeather on Thursday released its winter weather outlook for the 2025-26 season. Meteorological winter starts on Monday, Dec. 1, while astronomical winter begins on the solstice, which will occur at 10:03 a.m. EST on Dec. 21.

The new forecast predicts a "bookend" winter for the central and eastern United States, with the biggest storms expected around the opening and the final weeks of the season.

"Early season storms will likely track from Canada into the Midwest before pushing toward the mid-Atlantic and New England. Some storms could strengthen into nor’easters," AccuWeather forecasters said. "By late winter, the storm track is expected to shift, bringing systems from the Plains and Mississippi Valley into the Appalachians, Midwest and Northeast."

In Virginia, most of the state, including northern portions, is expected to see more snow this season than last year.

"Seasonal snow totals may still fall below the historical average as storms during mid- to late winter may produce a mix of rain and snow rather than just snow," forecasters said.

While some parts of the nation are likely to experience brutal cold and sky-high heating bills this winter, temperatures are expected to be about 1 to 2 degrees above average in most of Northern Virginia, forecasters said.

However, frigid conditions are still likely at times, according to AccuWeather. Winter is expected to return in force by February as bitterly cold air expands across the central and eastern United States.

The highest potential for a polar vortex to shift south and unleash some of the coldest air of the season across North America will be in late January or February, forecasters said.

Nationally, it looks to be an intense and stormy winter for certain areas of the country, particularly across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic.

A snowy winter is predicted across portions of the Midwest, a swath from the Plains to the Ohio Valley, and areas of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. December could be especially active around the Great Lakes, where blasts of cold air will fuel heavy lake-effect snow.

Buffalo, New York, is forecast to receive 90–100 inches of snow, close to its historical average. More than 77 inches of snow were measured in Buffalo last winter.

AccuWeather long-range experts say heating bills could run high this winter in places including the Plains and Midwest.

“Minneapolis to the Chicago suburbs and areas north of Kansas City could have the coldest air overall this winter. This area could be hit with multiple blasts of frigid air,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. said. “The demand for heating will likely be well above average in the upper Midwest this winter. Heating bills could get quite high for a lot of people this winter.”

One of the biggest factors that AccuWeather long-range experts consider when creating the U.S. winter forecast is whether there will be a La Niña or El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. These are regular, large-scale climate phenomena that can influence weather patterns across North America, especially during the winter months.

A La Niña watch has been issued by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. La Niña occurs when the water near the equator in the Pacific Ocean is cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures for at least five consecutive overlapping 3-month seasons.

This is the opposite of El Niño, when water in this region is warmer. Both can have a significant influence on the way storm tracks develop across North America, especially during the winter.

Even if La Niña does not officially develop, some aspects of the winter weather can resemble a season when La Niña is present, such as the warmer weather expected across the southern tier of the country. However, a weak La Niña would open the door for other factors that can alter the overall weather patterns throughout the winter