Detroit in short
The numbers in three sentences
NOAA's Dec–Feb 2026-27 outlook for Detroit: temperature 50–59% chance Above normal; precipitation 33–39% chance Below normal.
Among the 9 strong El Niño winters with complete records, the snowiest here was 1972-73 (45.0 in, 100% of normal) and the least snowy was 1965-66 (15.4 in, 34% of normal).
In the “Big Three” El Niño winters it recorded 1982-83 (20.0 in, 44% of normal), 1997-98 (23.4 in, 52% of normal), 2015-16 (35.3 in, 78% of normal).
Snow by winter
The chart as a table: inches, % of normal, El Niño peak
Snow in past strong El Niño winters
Winters with above-normal snow
0 of 9
In 0 of 9 strong El Niño winters, Detroit got above-normal snow (median 52% of normal).
Normal: 45.0 in per season (NOAA 1991–2020 normal).
| Winter | % of normal |
|---|---|
| 1957-5818.0 inPeak ONI 1.69 / RONI 1.89 | 40% |
| 1965-6615.4 inPeak ONI 1.82 / RONI 1.99 | 34% |
| 1972-7345.0 inPeak ONI 1.84 / RONI 1.97 | 100% |
| 1982-83Big 320.0 inPeak ONI 2.14 / RONI 2.40 | 44% |
| 1991-9243.5 inPeak ONI 1.54 / RONI 2.12 | 97% |
| 1997-98Big 323.4 inPeak ONI 2.37 / RONI 2.28 | 52% |
| 2009-1043.7 inPeak ONI 1.50 / RONI 1.50 | 97% |
| 2015-16Big 335.3 inPeak ONI 2.59 / RONI 2.25 | 78% |
| 2023-2423.5 inPeak ONI 1.99 / RONI 1.42 | 52% |
Snowfall from NOAA station record Detroit Area (ThreadEx; current station DETROIT METRO AIRPORT) (DTWthr, 630 ft).
Past strong El Niño winters are a guide, not a forecast. Every El Niño is different: this one comes with a negative PDO, which NOAA says may dampen typical impacts.
NOAA's outlook and El Niño now
Issued Sep 17, 2026 · next Oct 15, 2026
NOAA Dec–Feb outlook
Official- Temperature
- 50–59% chance Above normal
- Precipitation
- 33–39% chance Below normal
Issued Sep 17, 2026 by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Next update Oct 15, 2026.
El Niño now
- NOAA status
- El Niño Advisory
- RONI, JAS 2026
- +1.69 °C
- Chance of very strong (≥ +2.0 °C) in Dec–Feb
- 81%
NOAA status: El Niño Advisory. El Niño continues to strengthen, with a strong-to-very strong El Niño likely through January-March 2027 (remaining greater than an 83% chance). (NOAA CPC, Oct 8, 2026.)
About this station
Detroit Area (ThreadEx; current station DETROIT METRO AIRPORT) · ACIS DTWthr
- Station: Detroit Area (ThreadEx; current station DETROIT METRO AIRPORT), ACIS id
DTWthr, GHCNUSW00094847. - Matched by station name.
How we pick stations and count winters: method & sources. Last updated .
Not a forecast
This is not a weather forecast. Seasonal outlooks are probabilities from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center; past El Niño winters show what happened, not what will happen. Snowfall is from NOAA station records (ACIS) and may contain gaps or station changes. For forecasts and warnings, use weather.gov. Not affiliated with NOAA/NWS.