The Shadow
DUBLIN, N.H. — The 2020 edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac is warning that winter will bring “snowy, icy, and icky” conditions, “wet and wild” periods, and “a parade of snowstorms.”
“This winter will be remembered for big chills and strong storms bringing a steady dose of heavy rain and sleet, not to mention piles of snow,” said Janice Stillman, editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which claims it was 80.5 percent accurate in predicting last winter’s weather.
“This could feel like the never-ending winter, particularly in the Midwest and east to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, where wintery weather will last well into March and even through the first days of spring,” Stillman added.
The almanac, which will be available for purchase on Aug. 27, provides weather predictions for Alaska, Hawaii, and 16 regions across the continental U.S.
Publishers say the almanac still relies on a formula devised by Robert B. Thomas, who founded the book in 1792. Thomas believed the planet’s temperature and weather depended on sunspots, which are defined as magnetic storms on the surface of the sun. The almanac says it has refined
Thomas’ methods by incorporating technology into his forecast model.
The 2020 almanac predicts frequent snow events — from flurries to no fewer than seven big snowstorms from coast to coast, including two in April for the Intermountain region west of the Rockies. Those events will include storms pummeling Washington state and points eastward across the northern-tier states into Michigan, the almanac says.
For the normally rain-soaked Northwest, the almanac says people can expect a repeat of last winter’s record-breaking extremes, including the Snowpocalypse that dumped 20.2 inches on Seattle in February.
According to the almanac, the middle of the country and New England can bank on a slush fund, as “more wet than white” conditions will leave sludgy messes that freeze during the overnights.
Meanwhile, the almanac says much of the Deep South will be saturated by soakers, while Florida, the Gulf Coast and Texas, which will bask in pleasant weather.
The almanac predicts that bone-chilling cold could make some snow-socked areas even more umberable.
“Prepare to shiver from the Heartland westward to the Pacific Coast starting just after New Year’s. The cold will continue through Valentine’s Day — providing the perfect excuse to stay indoors and snuggle!—but be warned: Winter will not be over yet,” the almanac says.
The almanac predicts that even typically tropical Hawaii will feel the chill, with cooler temperatures coupled with showers and heavy thunderstorms.
For some parts of the country, the publication predicts that “frigid and frosty conditions will last well into spring, bringing little relief to the winter-weary.”
Then, 2020 will bring a “searing summer will bring scorching temperatures to the High Plains; ‘sizzle and drizzle’ from the middle of the country eastward to the coast; and ‘wicked hot’ weather to the Northeast, the almanac says.
The almanac is produced by Yankee Publishing Inc. in Dublin, N.H.
