Farmers' Almanac Releases Winter '23/'24 Forecast
The majority of North America is sweltering under the relentless heat of one of the warmest summers in recorded history, but the Farmers' Almanac already has their sights on winter.
The Farmers' Almanac has been publishing long-range weather forecasts for over 200 years, and while their predictions are controversial, it's fun as a skier to start making powder-chasing plans across the country.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the Farmers' Almanac Winter '23/'24 Winter Outlook:
As a skier, this map gives me hope for a fruitful winter of snow from Maine to California. Will that be the case? Most likely not, but reading encouraging words like: 'wintry', 'cold', and 'snowy' give me enough hope to make it through August, at least.
The Farmers' Almanac is so confident that this winter will be cold across the country that their forecast has been dubbed 'the BRRR is Back!'.
The Almanac believes that El Niño will occur towards the end of the year. They go on the explain how that could lead to a cold and snowy winter across the country:
"Reason for the Return of the “Brrr”
There are indications that an El Niño (an unusually high-water temperature off the Pacific Coast of South America), will be brewing in the latter half of 2023, lasting into the winter of 2024. If we consider that alongside our tried-and-true forecast formula, it means that cold temperatures should prevail throughout the country and bring snow, sleet, and ice."
The Almanac has also published a list of significant weather events that they're predicting throughout the winter. They're encouraging readers to make travel plans around these forecasted storms.
If anything, these forecasted weather events could be great opportunities for a planned or impromptu ski trip:
-The second week of January will be stormy, snowy, and wet for both the Pacific Coast and the Eastern States.
-Lots of cold temperatures and some storms will keep folks in the South Central States busy during the middle of January.
-Heavy mountain snows will cover the western US including the mountains on the Pacific Coast during the first week of February.
-An East Coast storm affecting the Northeast and New England states will bring snowfall, cold rain and then frigid temperatures, during the second week of February.
-Unseasonably cold temperatures will blow into the Southeast States mid-February.
-Potential blizzards for this first week of March will remind folks in the North Central States that winter isn’t over yet.
-Another East Coast storm will bring a wintry mess to this area during the first week of March.
-A possible late-season snowfall over the high terrain of New England during the third week of April won’t be a fun “April Fools’ Day” prank!
We're still months away from snow falling at our favorite ski resorts, but there's no time like the present to start prepping for ski season.
Take the information provided by the Farmers' Almanac with a grain of salt, and do with it as you will. I'm personally hoping that El Niño delivers a better ski season for my friends in the Northeast, and that the west has an average year across the board.
We can't expect last season's record snowfall in Utah and California to repeat itself, but we can certainly pray. Start doing your snow dances, people.
Stay right here with us at Powder Magazine for all of the skiing news and entertainment you're looking for. We've got you covered.
You can click here to read the Farmers' Almanac Extended Winter 2024 Forecast.
Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.
We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.
