For centuries, the Old Farmer’s Almanac has been giving Americans a glimpse of the weather to come with its annual weather reports
Winter is here and if you’re a follower of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, you are preparing for what they are calling a “Season of Shivers”. This year, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting one of the longest and coldest winters we have seen in years.
But what is the Almanac predicting for Utah? Janice Stillman, editor of the Old Farmer’s Almanac said that for December, they predicted below normal temperatures and snow showers as we roll into the new year.
“For January in the Intermountain Region, we're predicting temperatures to be 30 degrees on average, which is two degrees below normal, and precipitation to also be slightly below average,” Stillman said. “We’re predicting snow showers through most of the month off and on, really with occasional mild temperatures and cold temperatures.”
Predictions are made using three scientific disciplines. Stillman said they use solar science, climatology, and meteorology.
“So, we take that information and make our predictions really in the February of the year prior to the cover year. So, for example, the cover year is 2022 to the 2022 edition. So, these forecasts were submitted to us for production back in February and March of 2021,” Stillman said.
Even though the Old Farmer’s Almanac releases yearly predictions, Stillman said their accuracy rate is around 80%.
“We don't believe anybody can be 100% accurate. Of course, sometimes our forecasts are, say above 80% accurate. And sometimes they're slightly less,” Stillman said.
For more information on where you can find the 2022 Old Farmer’s Almanac, visit their website.
