It seems both the Farmers Almanac, and the Old Farmers Almanac are predicting a fairly nasty winter for much of North America this season.
After a particularly long and cold season last year, this is not news Canadians are happy to hear.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been publishing annually since 1792 with its weather forecasts, along with other information including tide tables, planting charts, recipes and a variety of other topics and makes predictions based on a secret method involving solar activity, astronomy cycles and historical weather patterns.
The Farmers’ Almanac has been publishing since 1818, and also has a secret mathematical and astronomical forecasting method in its publication which, like its competitor, also includes gardening tips, humour and other subjects.
Both claim a high degree of accuracy, although scientific comparisons of actual conditions and the almanacs predictions show an accuracy rate rather closer to that of chance.
In an article by Karolyn Coorsh of CTV , Jack Burnett, editor of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, said on CTV’s Canada AM television programme in September that, “We’re looking at the T-Rex of winters. It’s going to be colder, it’s going to be snowier … it’s not pretty. From Calgary to Quebec, we’re going to be up to our neck,”
This was in reference mostly to the southern half of those provinces, although apparently southwestern Ontario, and Toronto- Canada’s largest city- will be cold, but drier. Other areas around the country, the north and both east and west coasts would experience a milder winter.
David Philips, Environment Canada’s senior climatologist David Phillips told CBC news a somewhat different prediction, saying
“There will be moments you’ll wish you were somewhere else but my sense is that the character of this particular winter coming up will not be nearly as brutal as it was last year.”
He also said he likes to think Environment Canada’s prediction’s are rather more scientifically based, and don’t show the doom and gloom predicted. He also noted that even their forecasts aren’t always correct, but are more realistic than the almanacs.
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