Ski season might still feel far off, but if you're already dreaming about trading this brutal heat for snow, now's the time to start watching the pattern — and booking those early winter trips.

This year's El Niño setup comes with a southern signal, meaning storms are more likely to track through the southern half of the country. That's a shift from recent winters, and it could mean a very different snow season than last year.

(MORE: El Niño could impact this winter's snowfall and your ski trip)

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Here are five resorts worth keeping an eye on this season — from the familiar favorites to a couple of underdogs that don't usually make the list.

Mammoth Mountain, California

Mammoth tends to do well in El Niño winters thanks to its front-row seat to the Pacific storm track. When moisture-rich systems — sometimes even a "Pineapple Express" — roll in off the ocean, Mammoth is often one of the first to cash in. This is shaping up to be one of the stronger bets on the list.

Telluride, Colorado

Southwest Colorado tends to have better luck than the northern half of the state in El Niño winters. Telluride sits in that sweet spot where the southern storm track can deliver solid snowfall totals through the season.

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(MORE: Super El Niño could flip winter temperatures upside down in the US)

Park City, Utah

Here's the wild card. Park City is a fan favorite — one of the most popular ski villages to visit, especially during the holidays — but Utah's signal is a little murkier this year. Historically, Park City runs closer to average (or even a touch below) during El Niño winters. That doesn't mean it's a bust — it just means we're not ready to call it a record season yet. Think "solid maybe" rather than "sure thing."

(MORE: Historic super El Niño looms)

Taos, New Mexico

This is where it gets interesting. Taos isn't usually the first place people think of when planning a ski trip, but El Niño winters tend to favor the Southwest first — and that includes northern New Mexico. If the pattern holds, Taos could be quietly having one of its best seasons in years.

Snowbowl, Arizona

The second underdog on this list, and maybe the most surprising. Flagstaff doesn't come to mind for most skiers, but Arizona Snowbowl sits right in that zone El Niño tends to favor most. If the storm track lines up like it often does in these patterns, this could be a sleeper season worth watching closely — and maybe worth booking before everyone else catches on.

The bottom line: This isn't a "same five resorts, same predictable winter" kind of year. Mammoth and Telluride look like safer bets, Park City is a genuine toss-up, and Taos and Snowbowl could end up being the story of the season if El Niño's southern storm track behaves the way it usually does.

Keep an eye on this list as winter approaches — and if you're already itching to escape the heat, these two underdogs might be worth booking before the secret gets out.

Faiza Mohammed is a meteorologist intern at weather.com. She studied geography and worked with the Weather Dawgs team at the University of Georgia. She also received her master's in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology.