What Will This Winter Be Like? Farmers’ Almanac Releases Forecast — and It Isn't Pretty. | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's note: This informational nugget was sent to me by Ben Shapiro, who represents the Daily Wire, and since this is one of the most topical news events, it should be published on BCN.

The author of this post is Joseph Curl.

    Bundle up and hunker down.

    That's the advice from the editors of the Farmers' Almanac, which has been pumping out long-range weather predictions since 1818.

    "Our extended forecast is calling for yet another freezing, frigid, and frosty winter for two-thirds of the country," editor Peter Geiger said in a Tuesday statement on the company's website as they released their winter prediction.

    That means "bitterly cold winter conditions" from the Rockies to the Appalachians, with "the most freefalling, frigid temperatures" forecast from the northern Plains into the Great Lakes.

    "The Northeast, including the densely populated corridor running from Washington to Boston, will experience colder-than-normal temperatures for much of the upcoming winter. Only the western third of the country will see near-normal winter temperatures, which means fewer shivers for them."

    According to their prediction, the coldest stretch of winter will hit in the final week of January and last through the beginning of February.

    And snow, oh the snow.

    "The Almanac calls for above-normal winter precipitation over the eastern third of the country as well as the Great Plains, Midwest, and the Great Lakes. The Pacific Northwest and Southwest should see near-normal precipitation. With colder-than-normal temperatures in the Northeast and above-normal precipitation expected, our outlook forewarns of not only a good amount of snow, but also a wintry mix of rain, sleet - especially along the coast," the Almanac predicts.

    To be even more specific, the Almanac says the eastern half of the country will be deluged by "copious amounts" of snow, rain, sleet, and ice between January 4 - January 7 and January 12- January 15, along with "strong and gusty winds."

    "And for those who live northeast of the Texas Panhandle to the western Great Lakes, watch out for what could prove to be a memorable storm producing hefty snows for the Great Plains during the third week of January," the publication notes.


    Winter will also be long - very long.

    "According to our long-range outlook, spring will be slow to start with winter lingering across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast, and New England. Occasional wet snow and unseasonably chilly conditions will hang on for a ride that you may not be able to get off until April!" the Almanac says.

    The Almanac has been using a set of parameters set up by in 1818 by David Young, the Almanac's first editor. "These rules have been altered slightly and turned into a formula that is both mathematical and astronomical. The formula takes into consideration things like sunspot activity, tidal action of the Moon, the position of the planets, and a variety of other factors," the Almanac says.

    And the editors claim they usually hit the mark with their predictions.

    "Though weather forecasting, and long-range forecasting, in particular, remains an inexact science, many longtime Almanac followers claim that our forecasts are 80% to 85% accurate."

    Meanwhile, The Old Farmer's Almanac, which has been published continuously since 1792, making it the oldest continuously published periodical in North America, had similar forecasts.

    The Old Farmer's Almanac, also released Tuesday, forecasts "snowy, icy, and icky" conditions, "wet and wild" periods, and "a parade of snowstorms."

    "This winter will be remembered for big chills and strong storms bringing a steady roofbeat of heavy rain and sleet, not to mention piles of snow," said Janice Stillman, editor of the Old Farmer's Almanac, which was 80.5% accurate in predicting last winter's wild weather.

    And they, too, say winter will be long.

    "This could feel like the never-ending winter, particularly in the Midwest and east to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, where wintery weather will last well into March and even through the first days of spring," Stillman said.