Warning issued to 19 states as expert predicts extreme 'winter storm battleground' due to El Niño

The entire US East Coast could be set for a harsh winter with multiple snowstorms and freezing temperatures following a stark El Niño warning.

El Niño's influence on Americans has been relatively limited over the summer, but its wider impact is expected to become more significant as the phenomenon strengthens into winter.

Experts have warned that as many as 19 states could be affected by snowstorms which may turn regions into Arctic 'battlegrounds' over the course of the colder months - particularly along the East Coast.

The warning has been issued across southern Maine to the tip of Florida, and stretching as far as Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas as well.

On the West Coast, California is also expected to see above-average levels of rain, snow, sleet and hail.

Parts of the US could see significant snowstorms. (Getty Stock Images)

Meteorologist Ryan Hall further warned that the South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, the Appalachians, the Carolinas and Virginia could also be in danger, during his September 19 forecast on YouTube.

He said: "On my map, this is the winter storm battleground, and this is actually where my forecast has changed the most.

"I'm now a lot more confident than I was a few weeks ago that somebody in this corridor is going to get a big snowstorm or a big ice storm this winter."

El Niño occurs when temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean rise above average, influencing atmospheric circulation and shifting the jet stream southwards across the US.

Meteorologists have issued a warning to Americans. (Getty Stock Images)

This can bring increased rainfall, a heightened risk of flooding and heavier snowfall to parts of the southern states, stretching from California and Texas to the Carolinas.

Hall added: "It's still a tricky forecast. Washington DC, Baltimore, Philly, New York, Boston. I still like the storm signal and the new outlook runs that wet pattern way up into New England.

"I think there's going to be plenty of chances over here. But that still doesn't answer the thing that everybody actually wants to know: rain or snow. And I'm going to be sticking with that same coin flip."

However, AccuWeather had a different take on the snow situation, claiming that 2027 may actually end up setting records for a lack of snow.

Their expert, Paul Pastelok, said in a statement: "It may be more about rainfall this year, coastal flooding, and rivers rising. That’s something you talk more about during the spring, but it could be the opposite this year."