Farmer's Almanac Predicts Extra Snowy Winter: What to Expect in Your Region
Here's a breakdown of what the experts say we should prepare for in terms of winter weather.
If you've been waiting for a winter wonderland that never seems to show up, this might finally be your year. The Farmer's Almanac recently released its 2023-2024 winter weather forecast, and it's predicting this season to be a significantly snowier one for the entire U.S.
"After a weird and warm winter season last year, this winter should make cold weather fans rejoice—especially those in the Great Lakes, Midwest, and northern New England areas," editor Pete Geiger said in a statement. "The 'brrr' is coming back! We expect more snow and low temperatures nationwide."
Since 1818, the Farmer's Almanac has been providing long-range weather forecasts for the country. The publication claims its "time-tested, challenged, and approved" formula has allowed it to make accurate predictions for centuries. But even as it predicts an extra snowy winter across the board, things might look a bit different in your neck of the woods. Read on to discover what you should expect in your region.
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Northeast and New England
This year's forecast is calling for a cold and snowy season in the Northeast for Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont, as well as a frosty, flakey, and slushy season for New England states: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
"For those of you living along the I-95 corridor from Washington to Boston, who saw a lack of wintry precipitation last winter, you should experience quite the opposite, with lots of rain/sleet and snowstorms to contend with," the Farmer's Almanac experts state in their forecast.
Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Midwest
The Farmer's Almanac predicts a stormy winter for the middle of the U.S., with "lots of snowstorms, sleet, ice, and rain for much of the Great Lakes, Ohio, and Midwest—especially in January and February."
But you should also expect it to be very cold in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, as experts are expecting "below-average temperatures" in this region during the winter season.
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Southeast
Moving down the map, residents in West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida should expect to see a chilled and wet winter, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
"The Southeast and Florida will see a wetter-than-normal winter, with average winter temperatures overall, but a few frosts may send many shivers to snowbirds trying to avoid the cold and snow back home," the experts state.
North Central
If you live in the Great Plains and Rockies regions, you should prepare for "plenty of cold temperatures and occasional bouts of storminess, bringing widespread rains and snows." Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota will experience a cold winter with average snowfall, according to the forecast.
You should also get ready for an extended season, as the Farmer's Almanac warns that "potential blizzards for this first week of March will remind folks in the North Central States that winter isn't over yet."
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South Central
The South Central states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas may be shaken by this winter's weather, as the Farmer's Almanac is predicting an "unseasonably cold, stormy" season for the region.
"Lots of cold temperatures and some storms will keep folks in the South Central States busy during the middle of January," the forecast indicates. Farmer's Almanac adds that those in Texas specifically should prepare for a "possible major winter storm in mid-January."
Northwest
If you live in Idaho, Oregon, or Washington, you might be used to experiencing a white winter. But the Farmer's Almanac is warning that it is predicting an "unusually snowy and wet winter" for the Pacific Northwest this year.
You should expect "heavy mountain snows" to cover the mountains on the Pacific Coast during the first week of February in particular, according to the forecast.
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Southwest
The forecast for Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, currently indicates that it will be "seasonably stormy [with] wintry temps." But as managing editor Sandi Duncan explained in a statement, "atmospheric phenomena such as El Niño also affect our predictions."
El Niño is "an unusually high-water temperature off the Pacific Coast of South America," and there are indications that this phenomenon could hit during the last half of 2023 and into the winter season of 2024, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
"Should an El Niño materialize, it could direct the subtropical jet stream into California, translating into copious amounts of rain and snow across the entire Southwest," the forecast states.
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