The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been in publication since 1792 which was George Washington’s first term as president, making it the oldest continuously published periodical in North America. This almanac makes astrological and weather predictions and has said to be 80% accurate over all these years. These numbers are determined by looking at monthly averages—since these are long-range monthly predictions—as opposed to judging each day’s forecast.
So what type of winter is the Farmer’s Almanac predicting for 2020/2021? “For the United States, we predict that recent warming trends will dominate in the eastern and northern parts of the United States in the coming winter, with below-normal average temperatures limited to the western portion of the nation. Most of Canada will have a cold and snowy winter. However, rising temperature trends mean that the winter will not bring extreme cold; instead, it will be closer to normal.”
Certain areas can expect colder than normal temperatures including Maine & Pacific Southwest regions. Meteorologists argue that it’s way too soon to be making any predictions for winter weather based on science and that this information should be use for entertainment purposes only.
There is a lot of folklore surrounding winter weather. In the past, they would look at plants, animals, insects, and mother nature in general for signs of what was to come. For example, in August if you observe thicker than normal corn husks, the early departure of geese & ducks, heavy fog, an abundance of acorns falling, pigs gathering sticks, or frequent halos around the sun or moon, they would all be signs of a harsh winter to come.
If you are interested in folklore & Superstitions, we have plenty of blog posts for you to read related to Super Bowl, holidays, Friday the 13th and more.
Strange Superstitions Around the World
Friday the 13th Bad Luck Superstitions
St. Patrick’s Day Superstitions
Super Bowl Traditions & Superstitions
How the World Celebrates Thanksgiving
Christmas Superstitions
