Two almanacs that rarely agree on anything are singing roughly the same tune for the Southwest this winter: mild temperatures and a busy storm track. One of them names Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix outright as places to watch for frequent storms.
The picture is not perfectly tidy, though. The other almanac splits its Southwest in two, and the federal outlook adds its own wrinkles. Here is how the three forecasts line up, and where they part ways.
What the Farmers’ Almanac Says About Southwest Storms
The Farmers’ Almanac 2026-2027 winter forecast is blunt: “The outlook for the Southwest is mild, with rain or mixed precipitation.” The almanac expects an active southern storm track to deliver heavier-than-normal precipitation from California and the Desert Southwest eastward, so Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix should watch for frequent storm systems and a wetter-than-normal winter. Its Nevada note is shorter: the state’s lower deserts should stay mild.
That is a pleasant surprise for anyone who has been reading about a strong El Nino favoring wetter weather across the Southern Tier, because the almanac’s storm track lines up neatly with that story. Cold-weather fans in the region may be disappointed, since mild is the keyword. Anyone planning a holiday trip can also use the cooperative weather as a reason to pack light, and a roundup of carry-on suitcases worth packing makes that easier…