The Ohio Valley is headed for a warmer winter than usual, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts.
“Temperatures will be much above normal on average from late December into early January,” the forecast said. Snowfall will be below normal as well in most areas.
November and December will have above-average temperatures, with January about three degrees cooler than average— although rain and snow will be below the average amount for that month. Then the weather will start heating up
For February, the publication is predicting a particularly warm month, 10 degrees above normal. March will also be warmer than average.
April and May will have near normal temperatures and below normal rain, the Almanac predicted. Next summer looks to be cooler than normal in the region.
Temperatures will be below-average all through the summer and into the fall of 2021, according to the prediction.
"Our long-range forecasts can be used to make more informed decisions about future plans that depend on the weather, from vacations and weddings to sporting events and outdoor activities," the publication said.
Its predictions are based on solar science, the study of sunspots and other solar activity; climatology, the study of prevailing weather patterns; and meteorology, which is the study of the atmosphere.
"We predict weather trends and events by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity," the Almanac said. It uses 30-year statistical averages by government meteorological agencies.
"Neither we nor any other forecasters have as yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of the universe to predict the weather with total accuracy," the Almanac said. But, "our results are almost always very close to our traditional claim of 80%."
Find out more about how the forecasts are compiled here.
The Almanac, headquartered in Dublin, New Hampshire, was first published in 1792 when it sold for nine cents a copy. It boasts that it is the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.
"In 1942, a German spy was apprehended by the FBI after being landed on Long Island, New York, by a U-boat the night before," the Almanac says. "The impact of this event was felt all the way to Dublin, New Hampshire, because The Old Farmer’s Almanac was found in his coat pocket. The U.S. government speculated that the Germans were using the Almanac for weather forecasts, which meant that the book was indirectly supplying information to the enemy."
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