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Abstract Aim Changes in abundance and shifts in distribution as a result of a warming climate have been documented for many marine species, but opportunities to test our ability to forecast such changes have been limited. This study evaluates the ability of habitat‐based density models to accurately forecast cetacean abundance and distribution during a novel year with unprecedented warm ocean temperatures caused by a sustained marine heatwave. Location California Current Ecosystem, USA. Methods We constructed generalized additive models based on cetacean sighting and environmental data from 1991 to 2009 for eight species with a diverse range of habitat associations. Models were built with three different sets of predictor variables to compare performance. Models were then used to forecast species abundance and distribution patterns during 2014, a year with anomalously warm ocean temperatures. Cetacean sighting data collected during 2014 were used to assess model forecasts. Results Ratios of model‐predicted abundance to observed abundance were close to 1:1 for all but one species and accurately captured changes in the number of animals in the study area during the anomalous year. Predicted distribution patterns also showed good concordance with the 2014 survey observations. Our results indicate that habitat relationships were captured sufficiently to predict both changes in abundance and shifts in distribution when conditions warmed, for both cool‐ and warm‐temperate species. Main conclusions Models built with multidecadal datasets were able to forecast abundance and distribution in a novel warm year for a diverse set of cetacean species. Models with the best explanatory power did not necessarily have the best predictive power. Also, they revealed species‐specific responses to warming ocean waters. Results have implications for modelling effects of climate change on cetaceans and other marine predators.