The Farmers’ Almanac: Winter Weather Predictions for 2022/2023
Each year, people anticipate the arrival of the Farmers Almanacs’ winter weather predictions. Should I get a new snow blower? More importantly…should I get a new SNOWMOBILE? Do I need to start saving for heating oil now? How much shoveling is in my future? All of these questions need to be answered…and there’s nothing more fun than getting a little sneak peak into the future with The Farmers’ Almanac and Old Farmer’s Almanac predictions!
To start — keep in mind there are TWO farmers almanacs, both using a secret formula to make predictions. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, based in Dublin, New Hampshire, has been publishing weather predictions since 1792 with a mix of humor and useful information. The Farmers’ Almanac, published since 1818, is a Maine-based almanac with weather predictions and other random bits of information like “10 Best Bugs to Eat” and “When to Catch the Most Fish”!
Just this week, the anticipated (albeit controversial) Farmers’ Almanac and Old Farmer’s Almanac winter weather predictions came out, and this year they are saying some mixed things – from bitter cold and big snow to wet and wintry mixes.
So, what EXACTLY are the Farmers Almanacs predicting for Winter 2022/2023?
The Farmers’ Almanac
The Farmers’ Almanac predicts a cold winter and plenty of snow- “Shake, Shiver, and Shovel” is their mantra this year! They predict winter to hit earlier this year than last – thank goodness, because snowmobile season is planning to kick into gear on December 30th! They see active patterns hanging around especially over the eastern half of the country, with particularly big snow sweeping through mid January.
If true, this is great news for snowmobilers who travel to Maine to ride the 14,000+ mile snowmobile trail network, including the 100+ miles groomed and maintained by the Forks Area Trails Club! Think: groomed trail access right out your cabin door…dreamy, right?!
The Old Farmer’s Almanac
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for is a “tale of two winters”, with a dividing line through the country putting half of us in “bone chilling cold and loads of snow” and the other half “feeling like winter never really arrives”. Lucky for us- we’re making it just above the line to “loads of snow”… we sure hope that’s correct, but only time will tell!
Photo: Old Farmer’s Almanac
Believe it…or Not?
Great, great….but how accurate are these predictions really? The Old Farmer’s Almanac claims their forecasts average 80% accuracy, with some years dipping to 55% and others as high as 98%. Although these forecasts don’t tell a day-to-day story, they are supposed to give readers a general understanding of the winter and whether it will be above, at, or below average in terms of precipitation and temperature.
North Woods 4 Bedroom Cabin at Northern Outdoors
Ask a meteorologist, though, and they’ll doubt the accuracy of these predictions…
Since the #FarmersAlmanac has everyone in an uproar I thought I would release the real #winter forecast. #snow #Weather pic.twitter.com/n0HXahWY5O
— Bryan Shaw (@WxShaw) August 27, 2019
So the question is, are we really going to get a lot of snow this winter? In Maine, it’s hard tellin’ not knowin’. Feel free to keep an eye on our webcam and weather page to see for yourself, or better yet, book a cabin and experience it for yourself!
3 Responses
Always trust Farmer’s Almanac.
Hey article author and editor – the Old Farmer’s Almanac has been published since 1792, not 1972….. You have the wrong (typo) year notes in the body of the article. Proof of the year is on the cover of the book in the photo. Just trying to help and be sure the OFA gets the historical respect it deserves. 👍👩🌾
Oh geez – thanks so much for correcting us! Definitely earned that 180 years!