'Pockets Of Wild': Winter Forecast For CA Released By Old Farmer's Almanac

Although there are almost three weeks of summer left, the long-term winter forecast for California has arrived.

A new long-range outlook from The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests the winter of 2025-2026 will be mostly mild across much of the country, but some pockets could see bitterly cold temperatures and lots of snow.

“Don’t lose track of your snow shovels and umbrellas,” said Carol Connare, the almanac's editor. “Most areas will experience near-normal to slightly milder temperatures, but from the Appalachians south through the Southeast and Florida, and westward across the Ohio Valley, we’re predicting a colder-than-normal winter.”

Pacific Southwest Region

Most of California falls into an area the Farmer’s Almanac calls the “Pacific Southwest,” which includes nearly all of the Golden State, except the far north and far southeast desert.

For this region specifically, the long-range outlook predicts that winter in California should be warmer and drier than usual, with below-average mountain snowfall.

Temperatures are expected to be above normal, and rainfall is expected to be below normal.

Late January and late February are expected to be the coldest periods, while late November, mid-January, and late February are expected to be the stormiest periods.

The Continental U.S.

Here are The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s forecast highlights for the continental U.S.:

• Temperatures: Much of the country will experience near-normal to slightly milder temperatures.

• Precipitation: Winter will be drier than usual overall, with extended dry periods likely. Florida, the Intermountain region and the eastern Desert Southwest may see more rainfall than usual.

• Snowfall: Most areas will see near-normal or below-normal snowfall, but the eastern desert Southwest could see greater amounts of snow.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s predictions are based on a comparison of solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity.

The publication said factors influencing its predictions for the coming winter are a weakening La Niña climate pattern, the peak of Solar Cycle 25, shifting atmospheric winds and an unstable polar vortex that could send bursts of frigid air and snow deep into the United Stats

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been making weather predictions for more than 200 years, claims an 80 percent accuracy rating. Last year, the overall accuracy rating was nearly 90 percent.

However, the overall accuracy rating for the winter of 2023-2024 was only 64 percent, which the publication attributed to “how abnormal recent weather patterns have been.”

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• La Niña Winter Likely: Here's What It Means For CA
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