Winter is coming—and the question of whether you’re in for a snowy season or a sunny one will largely be decided by where you live. The latest National Weather Service forecast predicts wide variation in temperature and precipitation this winter across the U.S., capping off a year of record-breaking heat.
Residents of the southern part of the U.S. from Los Angeles to Atlanta should expect above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation, while people in northern states from Washington to the Midwest should expect below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation, according to the forecast. Forecasters expect most of the remaining U.S. to experience an average winter.
Weather forecasters attribute their projections—at least in part—to the La Niña climate phenomenon. La Niña—characterized by below-average temperatures across the equatorial Pacific—shifts global weather patterns, leaving some areas wetter and others drier than usual.
The weather forecast will be of little help to millions of California residents living in an area undergoing a years-long drought. Last year’s El Niño climate phenomenon brought unusually high precipitation but not enough to end the drought. Other areas could also enter into drought thanks to the dry weather.
See the full forecast below:
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Your Vote Is Safe
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- How the Electoral College Actually Works
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- Column: Fear and Hoping in Ohio
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com and Lon Tweeten at lon.tweeten@time.com