Meteorologist: El Niño Will Bring “Above Average” Snowfall To Rockies

As winter inches ever closer, long-range forecasts referencing the incoming El Niño — a climate pattern that can impact winter weather — continue to pile up.

The most recent forecaster to weigh in is Chris Tomer, who predicts that the El Niño will bring “above average” snowfall to the Rockies this winter.

Tomer makes a salient point at the start of this video, saying, “This is more a guide. There’s no such thing as a perfect forecast when you’re dealing with months in advance.”

No one, even credentialed forecasters like Tomer, can see into the future with 100% accuracy. Forecasting technology and methodology just aren’t there yet.

Still, if you were to hedge your bets on this upcoming winter’s weather, Tomer’s forecasts are a great place to start, at least for general trends. This portion of his biography on his website says it all:

“Tomer is a fully certified meteorologist, having earned the CBM and NWA Seal’s of Approval. Tomer also serves on the NWA panel of Television Seal evaluators. Chris has specialized knowledge of Mountain Meteorology.”

That’s not to mention that Tomer is a skier, meaning he understands that we snowsports fanatics aren’t storm-adverse like those who prefer warmer weather. Thus, his forecasts focus on potential snowfall totals, factoring in which resorts are slated to get the biggest dumps.

Here are the ski resorts Tomer thinks will be the biggest winners in terms of snowfall this winter:

As for general snowfall trends across the U.S., here’s Tomer’s take on the West:

And the Northeast:

There you have it. As with previous forecasts I’ve checked out, I was hoping that Tomer might suggest that northwest Montana, where I live, would do better than “below average.”

Alas, the consensus across forecasters indicates that I’m out of luck — seems El Niños are particularly fond of Montana. It’s time to buy some groomer skis, I guess.

If you’re looking for a reliable source for skier-focused long-range forecasts, Tomer’s your guy. Check out his YouTube channel right here.

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