We could 'shake, shiver and shovel' this winter; Farmer's Almanac warns of 'biting cold'

Emily DeLetter, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

Although it's not time for cooler weather around Greater Cincinnati just yet, the Farmers' Almanac is preparing for the upcoming fall and winter.

The Farmers' Almanac has released its extended winter forecast for 2022 and 2023 in the United States.

The main takeaway for much of the country: Expect snow, rain and mush, and a lot of it, as well as record-breaking cold temperatures. In fact, the Farmers' Almanac is warning readers to get ready to "shake, shiver and shovel."

The long-range forecasts for the Farmers' Almanac are calculated two years in advance and take "into consideration things like sunspot activity, tidal action of the Moon, the position of the planets, and a variety of other factors," according to the almanac's website.

The Farmers' Almanac claims an 80% accuracy rate for its forecasts, although some experts have disputed those claims.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a three-month outlook for November, December and January.

For Ohio and Northern Kentucky, it is predicting an equal chance of above normal or below normal temperatures, and an equal chance of above normal or below normal precipitation.

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What is the fall forecast in the Ohio Valley?

The arrival of the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22 officially starts the fall season, and the Farmers' Almanac fall forecast is predicting lower-than-usual temperatures around the country.

Above-normal precipitation is possible for a large portion of the country, including the Ohio Valley and the Midwest. 

The cold will really begin in the second half of November and will continue through the rest of the year. The almanac predicts that Thanksgiving will see "biting cold, rain and snow" for a group of Midwestern states including Ohio, and sweater weather, or cool temperatures with average precipitation for Kentucky and other Southern states.

What is Ohio's winter going to be like this year?

Winter will come earlier this year than it did last year, the Farmers' Almanac says.

December will look stormy and cold nationwide, with an active storm pattern around the eastern half of the country for most of the season, and the almanac says there's the possibility of a white Christmas in some areas.

The Farmers' Almanac has issued its winter outlook for 2022-2023.
The Farmers' Almanac has issued its winter outlook for 2022-2023.

What's the two-month forecast for the Ohio Valley?

Here's what the Old Farmers Almanac (not to be confused with the Farmers' Almanac) predicts the remainder of August and September will look like.

August

  • Aug. 10-13: Sunny, cool.

  • Aug. 14-19: Showers, then sunny and cool.

  • Aug. 20-31: Scattered thunderstorms and warm.

September

  • Sept. 1-6: Showers, mild.

  • Sept. 7-13: Rainy periods, then cool and warm.

  • Sept. 14-16: Sunny.

  • Sept. 17-24: Scattered thunderstorms and warm.

  • Sept. 25-30: Showers and cool.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Farmers' Almanac predicts cold winter, with record-breaking temps