SPOKANE, Wash. — Yes, there are two farmers almanacs, and they’re going to battle it out this winter over who is getting the forecast right.
The Old Farmers Almanac, first published 1792, claims much of the country will see a mild and dry winter while the Farmers Almanac, first published 1818, believes it will be a chilly and wet winter in most of the U.S.
In the Inland Northwest, the Old Farmers Almanac is predicting a warm and dry December, cold and snowy January, and warm and wet February. The Northern Rockies of Montana and the Cascades are predicted to see average to above average snow with less snow elsewhere. It also predicts snowy weather in mid-November and mid-March.
The Farmers Almanac (1818) predicts cold and wet conditions across the Pacific Northwest this winter. They specifically predict a major storm in early February that will bring heavy snow to the Bitterroot Mountains in Idaho.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service gives the Inland Northwest a 41% chance of cooler than average temperatures this winter and a 57% chance of wetter than average precipitation from December through February.