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Record El Niño Winter? Who Gets the goods in 2026-27, with OpenSnow's Alan Smith
Season 4
Episode 2
Published 12 hours ago
Description
A record-setting El Niño is on the way. Here's what it could mean for your ski season.
After a rough winter out West, everyone wants to know if this year will be better. OpenSnow meteorologist and operations manager Alan Smith joins us from Jackson, Wyoming, to cut through the hype (sorry, moose videos) and break down OpenSnow's 2026-27 winter outlook.
In this episode:
- El Niño explained in plain English, and why this one is so strong
- Why warm temperatures and high snow levels are the big wild card
- California and Utah: above-average snow indications
- The Southwest sweet spot: the San Juans, Taos and Arizona Snowbowl
- The Tetons and Colorado: a true coin flip
- Tough signals for western Canada, New England and the upper Midwest
- Bonus outlooks for the Alps and South America
- How to plan around any forecast: stay flexible and watch 10 to 14 days out
Just remember: an outlook tips the odds, it doesn't guarantee anything. Mother Nature always gets a say.
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