Winter Forecasts for U.S and Canada

“Mother Nature is once again keeping all of us on our toes,” reveals Editor and Philom.,Peter Geiger, “ we know she likes to throw curve balls at us from time to time and this winter it looks as though she’s going to reveal a possible split personality.”

The 2008 Farmers’ Almanac long-range forecasts are calling for colder than normal conditions for the eastern half of the country – chiefly those areas east of the Mississippi –with snowier than normal conditions expected.

For the western half of the country - mainly those areas west of the Mississippi – the overall winter will be milder than normal, with near or below normal precipitation. Quite a change from last year, when cold and stormy weather came blasting.

“This is not to say that there won’t be any snow in the North Central region,” shares Geiger, “but we do feel that overall Mother Nature is showing no mercy to the east and being a little more forgiving in the west.”

The 2008 Farmers’ Almanac predicts that skiers in eastern New York and New England will enjoy some great conditions (click here for our skiing outlook). The winter should also average as much as three degrees below normal down most of the Atlantic Coast, from New England through the Mid-Atlantic and the Piedmont into the Southeast. Cold conditions are on tap for the Southeast, with at least four cold frosts predicted all the way to Florida.

Cold and snowy weather should also prevail over the Great Lakes region. Even as far south as the central and eastern Gulf Coast, unseasonably chilly temperatures will prevail. In contrast, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest desert, and the Pacific Coast should enjoy a relatively mild and somewhat drier than normal winter overall. For some locations, the amount of wintertime precipitation – rain or snow – could average from one quarter to as much as one half below the seasonal norm. Quite a contrast to last year.

And near and along the boundary zone between the mild, tranquil West and the cold, stormy East, we look for some large-scale weather vacillations: from wintry to spring like and back to wintry, almost like a meteorological pendulum undergoing a series of pretty wild swings.


and for you canucks

The Canadian Farmers’ Almanac long-range forecasts are calling for a colder than normal winter with a greater than average complement of precipitation for the Ontario/Quebec border and points east into the Maritimes.

From central Ontario west through the Prairies and Rockies, on to the Pacific Coast – the overall winter will be milder than normal with near or below normal precipitation.

Skiers across Quebec will rejoice: snowier than normal conditions are expected. Snowy conditions will also be the case over Newfoundland. Overall, the winter should also average below normal temperature-wise across Quebec and the Maritimes.

Cold and snowy weather should also prevail over the Great Lakes region. In contrast, the Prairies, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Coast should enjoy a relatively mild and somewhat drier than normal winter season overall. For some locations, the amount of wintertime precipitation – rain or snow – could average one-quarter to as much as one-half below seasonal normal.

And near and along the boundary zone between the mild and tranquil West and the cold and stormy East, we look for some large-scale weather vacillations: going from wintry to spring like and back to winter, almost like some sort of a meteorological pendulum undergoing a series of pretty wild swings.