Frosty but Dry Fall Forecast

According to the 2009 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac published in August, most U.S. locales should prepare to encounter cold, crisp, dry, and fair conditions for much of this autumn.

Editor Peter Geiger says the cold, dry weather predicted for the coming months is likely to have a positive impact on this year’s foliage viewing season.

“Bright, sunny autumn days with cool nights contribute to the most spectacular color displays, and that’s exactly what we’re calling for this season,” explains Geiger. Check out when the best times are throughout the country to see peak color.

Over the coming weeks, the Almanac forecasts that the extremely active tropical storm season that has so far pounded the East Coast will calm, leaving fair, cold weather for most regions of the United States. Mid-October is expected to be rainy in most areas with a possibility of flurries beginning early in the Southwest, while late November could see heavy snows over the Great Lakes and Midwest.

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 planets 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.

The cold fall weather is expected to pave the way for a nasty winter season in most regions.