Will it snow in SC this winter? Here’s the Old Farmer’s Almanac & NWS forecasts
Despite the unusual snow-pocalypse that hit parts of South Carolina back in January, Palmetto State residents hoping for a white winter again this year may not want to pull out their shovels and gloves just yet.
Most forecasts show that a drier and warmer winter season is expected, but chances of snow and colder temperatures aren’t completely off the table.
Winter officially begins on Dec. 21 and ends on March 20 this year.
Here’s what the National Weather Service, the Old Farmer’s Almanac and AccuWeather predict for this winter season.
What does the NWS predict?
The NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s seasonal outlook from December to February suggests South Carolinians will likely have a warmer-than-average winter.
For precipitation this season, the west tip of the Palmetto State has an average forecast for rainfall, whereas the Midlands and coastal regions will have a below-normal rain season, leading to a drier winter.
What does the Old Farmer’s Almanac predict?
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a “colder-than-normal winter” for the Southeast region, but doesn’t rule out the possibility of “a snowy surprise.”
It also predicts that precipitation will be “below normal” and that the Palmetto State can expect a fairly dry and cold season.
The coldest periods are expected to fall between mid-to-late December, early and late January and again in early February.
As for snowfall, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says that greater amounts of snow are expected throughout the majority of the Carolinas and southern Appalachians, with the northern part of the Palmetto State having a chance of snowy conditions.
For the Southeast region altogether, chances of snow are above normal in the east, with predictions showing it will be the snowiest in mid-December.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, in publication since 1792, uses a combination of solar science, climatology and meteorology to predict long-range weather forecasts. The forecasts are typically made two years in advance. The publication states that they correctly predict the weather about 80% of the time.
What about other seasonal forecasts?
AccuWeather says that in the Southeast, temperatures will run “above historical averages and below on precipitation.”
However, AccuWeather predicts that a “major blast of Arctic air” remains possible in the South around late January or early February, which could open the door for “significant cold air.”
What about La Niña?
La Niña is a climate pattern marked by cooler-than-average water temperatures in the Pacific coast that push the jet stream northward, leading to changes in upper atmosphere patterns, influencing weather globally.
La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.
According to the NOAA forecasts, La Niña has a 71% chance of forming between October and December. “La Niña conditions are favored for a short duration during the Northern Hemisphere fall and early winter,” NOAA states.
Into 2026, the chances decrease to 54% by February.
If La Niña takes over, the southern half of the country is likely to get drier, warmer weather, which aligns with the NWS and NOAA’s warmer-than-average temperature prediction for South Carolina.
La Niña typically favors warmer-than-normal conditions in the South, with cooler conditions for most of the northwest and north-central states.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
