A Slightly Warmer, Rainier Spring To Come: Farmers' Almanac

COLORADO — The first day of spring is Sunday, March 20, with the vernal equinox, but meteorological spring is the one that counts when it comes to getting outside — especially when we get an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day when daylight saving time begins.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac said in its spring 2022 forecast to expect warmer-than-normal spring temperatures, except in the desert Southwest and Florida, where temperatures are expected to be slightly below normal this spring.

Precipitation will be above normal in parts of the South; the Midwest; a large swath of the western United States, stretching from the Rockies into the Pacific Northwest, and from Arizona westward into California; and in Hawaii.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac customized its spring forecast for each of 18 zones. Colorado, which is split into the Intermountain Region and the High Plains Region, is expected to have a few more snow showers toward the end of March, interspersed between milder, sunnier days. As April rolls around, temperatures will rise slightly, with an expected monthly average of 53 degrees and periods of sunshine between cooler, rainy days.

Released last month, the competing Farmers’ Almanac spring outlook calls for unseasonably cold temperatures on the first day of spring.

Overall, Northern-tier states will see near-normal temperatures, while Southern-tier states will see somewhat cooler-than-normal conditions. The one exception is the Southwest, where it will be warm to hot.

The second week of May is also expected to be unseasonably cool across much of the United States.

A wetter-than-normal spring is expected over the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Midwest and South Central States, while the opposite is expected in the Northeast and Southwest.

A “meteorological swizzle stick” is expected to stir up snow, wind, rain and severe thunderstorms, with some possibly spawning tornadoes, from the Rockies through the Plains.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac divides the country into 18 zones for its 60-day forecast. Colorado is expected to be in line with much of the country with temperatures and rainfall anticipated to be slightly above average.