It’s not fall yet but scientists at the Farmer’s Almanac have some weather predictions for this winter. Angeli Kakade (@angelikakade) has the story. Buzz60
The Farmers' Almanac predicts this year's winter "will be milder than normal, with above-normal precipitation and snowfall" in its new annual long range forecast for the U.S. and Canada.
In Iowa, the Almanac said:
"The coldest periods will be from late November into early December, from late December into early January and in early February."
According to the National Weather Service's data, the average temperatures in Des Moines from November 2016 to February 2017 were:
- November: 49 degrees
- December: 27 degrees
- January: 28 degrees
- February: 39 degrees
The snowiest periods, however, "will be in mid-November, early to mid- and late December, and early February," the Farmers' Almanac said.
As for previous snow totals, Des Moines only received 10.7 inches last year during that same four-month period, the NWS said.
The Farmers' Almanac — which was founded in 1818 and serves as a reference to weather forecasts, planting charts and astronomical data, among other topics — predicated last year that Iowa's winter would be "milder and drier than normal, with near- to above-normal snowfall."
So how do they do it?
The Farmers' Almanac uses a formula that's both "mathematical and astronomical," where it takes "things like sunspot activity, tidal action of the Moon, position of the planets, and a variety of other factors into consideration," the Farmers' Almanac said.
Who all knows how this formula works?
Just one person, who goes by the pseudonym of Caleb Weatherbee — the Farmers' Almanac's weather prognosticator.
"To protect this proprietary and reliable formula, the editors of the Farmers’ Almanac prefer to keep both Caleb’s true identity and the formula a closely guarded brand secret," the Farmers' Almanac said.
But how accurate are they?
The Farmers' Almanac claims that many of its longtime followers say the forecasts are 80-85 percent accurate.
In 2014, according to Time.com, the Farmers' Almanac said:
"We believe that nothing in the universe happens haphazardly, that there is a cause-and-effect pattern to all phenomena. However, although 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, our results are almost always very close to our traditional claim of 80 percent."
Learn more about the rest of 2018's weather outlook and more from this year's Farmers' Almanac report here.
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