Farmer's Almanac: Bitter, Cold Winter Forecast

By Sharon McLoone

The latest Farmers’ Almanac says Washington-area residents should prepare to bundle up this winter.

The nearly 200-year-old publication predicts a colder-than-normal winter for more than half of the United States and heavy snowfall in the Midwest, Great Lakes and New England. Residents of the Mid-Atlantic should be prepared to get copious amounts of snow or rain this winter, according to the almanac.

But don't stock up on the long johns yet. The Capital Weather Gang says the forecast is “baseless and lacks credibility.” The Washington Post weather bloggers say last year the Farmers’ Almanac called for cold weather in the East and mild weather in the West, which was wrong.

The Maine-based Farmers’ Almanac should not be confused with the also well-known New Hampshire-based Old Farmers’ Almanac, which will be published next month.