After what was one of the coldest and snowiest seasons for the northeast this past year (remember this time lapse of the Boston snow farm melting?), the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting banner ski seasons for a lot of places that are currently losing attention due to a trending El Niño phenomenon. The hokey farmer’s guide to weather is saying that places like the northeast and Pacific Northwest have a chance of big snowfall and cold temps.
How does the Old Farmer’s Almanac Work?
- The editors of the almanac use a top secret formula to generate weather predictions up to 2 years out.
- Factors include (but are not limited to) celestial events, sunrise/sunset times, and tidal conditions.
According to the almanac, the northeast will surpass snowfall averages as well as retain cold temperatures (Check out the Top 10 Places to Score Powder on the East Coast).
The Pacific Northwest on the other hand will receive big snow falls early on in the season before snowfall tapers off throughout the spring. The almanac is also predicting a precipitous beginning to the winter in California. That said, they see a dry spring in the forecast for the Golden State, which does not bode well for the catastrophic drought conditions.
Janice Stallman, who serves as the editor of the New Hampshire based annual publication, spoke about the California drought saying, “We don’t expect a whole lot of relief.” Bummer.
Here Are the Regional Breakdowns Courtesy of Almanac.com
The Northeast: Winter will be much colder than normal, with near-normal precipitation and below-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in mid- and late December, early and mid-January, and mid- to late February. The snowiest periods will be in mid- to late November, mid- and late December, and early to mid-March.
April and May will be warmer and wetter than normal in the north and much warmer and drier than normal in the south.
Intermountain: Winter temperatures will be above normal, with below-normal snowfall and with precipitation above normal north, below south. The coldest periods will be late December and mid- to late February north, and mid-December south. The snowiest period in northern and central sections will be in early December; mid-February and early to mid-March in the south.
April and May will be slightly drier than normal, with near-normal temperatures.
Utah: Winter temperatures will be above normal, with below-normal snowfall and with precipitation above normal north, below south. The coldest periods will be late December and mid- to late February north, and mid-December south. The snowiest period in northern and central sections will be in early December; mid-February and early to mid-March in the south.
April and May will be slightly drier than normal, with near-normal temperatures.
PNW: Winter temperatures will be higher than normal, with below-normal snowfall. Precipitation will be below normal in Washington and Oregon and near normal in northern California. The coldest periods will be in late December, mid- to late January, and late February, with the snowiest periods in late December and mid- to late January.
April and May will be slightly drier than normal, with near-normal temperatures.
Sierra Nevada: Winter temperatures will be above normal, with below-normal snowfall and with precipitation above normal north, below south. The coldest periods will be late December and mid- to late February north, and mid-December south. The snowiest period in northern and central sections will be in early December; mid-February and early to mid-March in the south.
April and May will be slightly drier than normal, with near-normal temperatures
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is the longest running periodical in American history.
Its rival counterpart, The Farmers Almanac is 26 year younger than the old version and is expected out later in August.