What Do The Almanacs Say About Winter Weather Predictions?

NEW CITY, NY—As the first leaves flutter down and the nights turn cooler, you may start to wonder what weather to expect this winter. According to the Farmer's Almanac, it's wise to stock up on road salt and get your snow gear in order.

The Almanac's long range forecast says that this winter's weather will be seasonably cold, with temperatures slightly milder than normal, but with considerably more precipitation. The Farmer's Almanac has red-flagged the 2018 dates of January 20-23, February 4-7 and 16-19, and March 1-3 and 20-23 for heavy precipitation along the Eastern Seaboard. Temperatures will decide if that precipitation is snow or rain.

Meanwhile, The Old Farmer's Almanac, also predicts a mild but snowy winter for 2018.

“This winter is forecast to be much colder than last year’s, but—just like last winter—not colder than usual… Precipitation will be at above-normal levels throughout the country, which will translate to equally above-normal amounts of snowfall in parts of the Northeast, central Great Lakes, central Plains, Intermountain region, and from eastern Tennessee through New Mexico. Get your shovels ready!"

When planning a winter vacation to escape shoveling, consider traveling north. The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts that Canada will have below normal levels of rain and snow.

The Old Farmer's Almanac has been predicting weather since 1792, while the Farmer's Almanac was founded in 1818. Meteorologists have given both almanacs around a 50 percent accuracy rate, but it never hurts to stock up on road salt.