Winter is coming! And according to the Farmers’ Almanac’s long-range weather outlook, it’s going to be a “teeth-chattering” cold one, with plenty of snow.
The 2019 Farmers’ Almanac, which provides 16 months’ of weather forecasts for 7 zones in one compact book, is predicting that winter 2019 will be “Colder-than-normal… from the Continental Divide east through the Appalachians.”
The real teeth-chattering arrives mid-February especially in the following zones: Northeast/New England, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Midwest, and Southeast (yes, even the Southeast will be in the chill zone!).
During this time, an Arctic cold front will produce blustery and bitter winds, a sharp drop in temperature, and widespread snow showers/squall activity along and ahead of the frontal line.
The Farmers’ Almanac, which bases its long-range forecast on a mathematical and astronomical formula developed in 1818, is also predicting above-normal precipitation (lots of snow) for the Great Lakes states, Midwest, and central and northern New England, with the majority of it falling in January and February.
Farmers’ Almanac Winter Outlook at a Glance:
- Colder-than-normal conditions are predicted from the Continental Divide east through the Appalachians.
- Above-normal snowfall predicted for Great Lakes, Midwest, New England, Pacific Northwest
- Frigid weather is expected in mid-February, which may also bring blustery and bitter winds, widespread snow showers, especially in zones 1, 2, and 3.
- Winter will hang on with stormy conditions up through the official start of spring, especially for the East Coast.
The Almanac also forecasts an unusually snowy and/or wet winter across the Pacific Northwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic States; in these regions, the thermometer will be hovering just above or just below the freezing mark, which means some of the precipitation may fall as either ice or rain/freezing rain.
Above-normal precipitation is also forecast for the Southwest region during December 2018, and for the Southeast in January and February 2019. The rest of the nation will see closer to normal snowfall amounts, although, as the 2019 Farmers’ Almanac suggests, a stormier-than-normal March could push snowfall totals to above normal over the northern and central Rockies and Plains. Good news for skiers and boarders!
Significant snowfalls are also predicted for parts of all 7 of our zones (check out what we’re predicting for your zone here.).