Today, the special 200th birthday edition of the Farmers’ Almanac and its long-range weather forecast were released.
“Our winter outlook is a tradition that, for two centuries, has been celebrated with cheers and jeers,” states editor Peter Geiger, Philom., “depending on what type of winter activity you enjoy (building snowmen or sandcastles). Many people are hoping they’ll need their shovels, but others are content to wear their shorts all year-long.”
According to the 2018 Farmers’ Almanac, shovels may be more useful in most areas of the country this year. The Almanac summarizes this winter as “The Cold, The Dry, The Wet, and The Wild.”
What does this mean for your neck of the woods? Here’s the breakdown:
The Cold: What can be expected in the eastern and central parts of the country;
The Dry: The weather conditions predicted overall for winter in the western third of the country (which had an extremely wet winter last year);
The Wet: Refers to conditions in the southeast region of the country;
The Wild: Used to describe winter’s wrath in an area of the country that the Almanac calls Arklatexoma, (where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma abut), as this region is predicted to see wild swings in winter weather conditions.
Check out the full forecast an the winter weather map at https://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather-outlook/2018-winter-forecast/
Of particular note, for those rooting for shovels, the Almanac is “red-flagging” the dates of January 20-23, February 4-7 & 16-19, and March 1-3 & 20-23, 2018, along the Atlantic Seaboard for some heavy winter precipitation.
