Stormy Forecast Threatens Snowy Winter For NYC

NEW YORK — Looks as though there'll be a lot of sidewalk shoveling this winter. A long-range winter weather forecast released by Accuweather is predicting a very stormy season for New York.

AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok says that fall will remain relatively warm except for a "few cold spells across the Northeast, and winter's chill won't arrive until at least the end of 2019."

But when it does get going after the New Year, we can expect a significant number of winter storms.

"Whether or not it's snowstorms, ice storms or mixed events, I do feel this is going to be an active year for the Northeast," Pastelok said. Above-normal snowfall could be in store for areas from New York City to Boston, AccuWeather predicts.

image via Accuweather

What Do The Farmers' Almanac And Old Farmer's Almanac Predict For Winter?

Other long range forecasts give off mixed messages for what to expect. Followers of the Farmers' Almanac are bracing for a snowy, bone-chilling season while the Old Farmer's Almanac's devotees are shunning snow blowers and taking out umbrellas.

The two meteorologic publishers may have almost identical names, but their long-range forecasts are like night and day.

The Farmers' Almanac, which released its prediction in August, expects colder-than-normaltemperatures and a lot of snow, with the frostiest snap coming during the last week of January and stretching into February. Winter weather will last into April.

But the Old Farmer's Almanac, which unveiled its forecast earlier in the month, expects the Northeast to be wet and warmer than normal.

"The middle of the country and New England can bank on a slush fund as 'more wet than white' conditions will leave sludgy messes that freeze during the overnights," its forecast says.

Both use secret formulas to predict the weather that they keep closely guarded. The two made opposite predictions last winter too, with the Farmers' Almanac warning it would be colder and snowier than normal, while the Old Farmer's Almanac predicted the Northeast would be warm, wet and with less snow than on average. The winter of 2018-19 fell somewhere between the two forecasts.

>>>Read Accuweather's full winter prediction here.

With Brian McCready/Patch