In the past years, the snowfall has always been unpredictable, but meteorologists predict that there will be below-average snowfall in the DMV area for the 2024-25 winter season. In Jan.- March of 2025, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts that El Niña will return for a colder and drier winter. The probability for above or below-normal precipitation in Northern Va. is 50/50. However, the coastal region and southeast Va. have a 33 to 40 percent chance of below-normal precipitation.

There is a 60 percent chance that 2025 will be an El Niña; throughout the summer, there were signs that a spring of colder-than-normal waters had taken hold of the central Pacific Ocean. El Niña refers to the wide-ranging cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. It comes with changes in atmospheric circulation, such as less precipitation, winds and pressure. In an El Niña winter, there is a decreased chance of snowfall due to the air being much drier. El Niña is the complete opposite of El Niño. El Niño is the warming of the ocean surface. This comes with more precipitation, giving the winter a bigger chance of snowfall. But for this winter, there is a weak signal of El Niña expected, so sadly, the chances of snow are slimmer.

Given the likelihood of above-average temperatures for Southwest and Central Va., citizens are left to believe the upcoming winter will feature below-average snowfall. Since the weather will be above average, there will be fewer chilly days, but there will be spikes throughout the season. Dec. and Feb. have the greatest chance of major cold this winter. But this year, there will be a lot of action regarding storms. The storms will most likely come from the south, pushing up warmer air. The DMV area could get several snow-to-rain storms if the temperature is cold enough. This year, the storm team is predicting six inches to 13 inches of snow in Washington D.C., so this is a below-average forecast.