Winter doesn’t officially start until Saturday, December 21, 2008, at 7:04 am EST, but this fall’s weather has been very winter-like. Parts of New Jersey received a freak snowstorm in October, Houston, Texas received its first snow in 4 years, and just recently New Orleans, Louisiana got a couple inches of snow! Cold temperatures also were experienced in most areas of the country, including Florida. Yes, Virginia fall was very frightful.
So what will the winter bring? According to the Farmers’ Almanac, more frightfully cold temperatures and a good amount of snow for many areas. The Farmers’ Almanac, now in its 192nd year, is forecasting a ‘numbing’ winter, with below-average temperatures for at least two-thirds of the country.
According to the 2009 edition, “Only the Far West and Southeast will see near-normal temperatures. Few, if any, locations will enjoy many above-normal temperature days this upcoming season.”
Heavy snow is predicted for the Great Lakes and Plains regions this winter, with a rainy season in the South and close to normal precipitation in most other regions of the country. While that prognosis may sound bleak to some, the good news is that a white Christmas is a good probability for many regions throughout the country this year, including parts of New England and the Great Lakes, as well as areas in Utah and Colorado on north and east into the Northern Plains.
“After last year’s record-breaking snowfall in New England,” shares Editor and Philom. Peter Geiger, “everyone has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of winter this year. And based on our long-range outlook, many places may once again see some record-breaking cold and snow the next few months.”
Farmers’ Almanac forecaster Caleb Weatherbee bases his long-range weather forecasts on a top-secret mathematical and astronomical formula that figures in sunspot activity, tidal action, the position of the planet in relation to the Sun, as well as a number of other factors. Faithful readers of the Farmers’ Almanac estimate that its annual weather forecast is accurate between 80 and 85 percent of the time.
About the Farmers' Almanac:
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
