'The Old Farmer's Almanac' Is Predicting 'One of the Longest and Coldest' Winters in Years

Get ready to bundle up this winter season. The Old Farmer's Almanac has released its official predictions for winter 2021 to 2022, dubbing the upcoming months "a season of shivers."

"This coming winter could well be one of the longest and coldest that we've seen in years," the publication's editor Janice Stillman said in statement.

Much of the country will experience a winter "punctuated by positively bone-chilling, below-average temperatures," The Old Farmer's Almanac reads.

Ice covers the shoreline of Lake Michigan, in Chicago, Illinois
Ice covers the shoreline of Lake Michigan, in Chicago, Illinois

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Snow will be a major part of the equation for many places, including areas in the Midwest and sections of the Northeast stretching from Maryland to Massachusetts. From eastern Montana south into the western halves of the Dakotas and northeastern Colorado, there will be above-average snowfall numbers. Other parts of the middle of the U.S. will have average temperatures, but more snow, including several storms.

Wintry mixes are expected in the Ohio Valley, parts of New England, northern portions of the Deep South, and southeastern New Mexico.

The only section that will be spared the cold is the West Coast, with a "mild" and "dry" winter from the western halves of Washington and Oregon, throughout California, and much of Arizona and New Mexico. And the only state with a "warm" prediction is Hawaii.

Up north in Canada, the season will be all about weathering the storms, which will leave areas "snowed in, sleeted on, slushed about, soaked, and otherwise generally soggy," the guide predicts.

"This coming winter won't be remarkable in terms of temperature, but for our Canadian friends who will end up just wanting to dry out, it will be a long season indeed," Stillman adds.

British Columbia is the only province that will see a mild, dry winter and experience "below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures throughout the season."

Otherwise, the southern halves of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will be mild and wet, while the southern part of Ontario and southwestern Quebec will be cold and wet. The furthest southeastern corner of the country will see normal temperatures, but also be wet. The rest of Canada will be mild and snowy.

While there are various guides with their own predictions, The Old Farmer's Almanac has been around for 230 years and claims an 80% accuracy rate for its weather predictions. The forecasts are determined by combining solar science, weather patterns, and meteorology.

But the weather predictions aren't the only thing inside the guide — the 2022 edition also includes gardening tips for a pumpkin patch or rainbow of dahlias, seasonal recipes, small farmer stories, how to find a perfect fishing spot, and the science of animal tracking.

For a more detailed winter weather report, visit the official site.