Old Farmer's Almanac predicts cold, snowy 2023-24 winter season
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Call this equal time.
Last week, KDKA shared the Farmers' Almanac's winter predictions. Now, its main competitor, the Old Farmer's Almanac, is releasing its predictions on Tuesday.
The Old Farmer's Almanac, like its competitor, concedes that the winter underperformed its above-normal forecast in the Pittsburgh area last year. But this year is shaping up to be a different story.
When it comes to forecasting, the Old Farmer's Almanac uses climatology, meteorology and sunspots in 11-year cycles.
"We have so much more data; we can go back and look at the eighth year of the cycle or the seventh year and marry up a lot of that data and very accurately predict those long-range forecasts," according to Carol Connare, editor of the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Connare says this year could be a return to normalcy.
"With El Nino, you're gonna see a lot more snow and a lot more cold."
The almanac can get pretty specific, too.
"The Dec. 23 Steelers game, which is in late December, that's a home game, there's a pretty good chance it'll be snowing and cold, actually," Connare said.
Cold that extends into January, with snow early in the month and a brief break.
"[January] 16 to the 27, snowing [and] cold."
Bundle up if you head to Gobbler's Knob.
"On Feb. 1 and 4, snow."
Then, a sunny break, but not for long.
"Into the middle of February, again, you're going to be having some rainy and wet weather."
The Old Farmer's Almanac says there is even some snow in mid-March.
"The good news about March snow is that it doesn't last long," Connare said with a smile.
And as for viewing the eclipse on April 8, 2024?
"We have predicted here for you rainy and cold, so that doesn't bode well, but I think, you know, that's where we hope we're wrong for you."
The Old Farmer's Almanac dates back to 1792 and prints three million copies a year.
But how accurate are these methods?
That depends on who you ask.
Connare said they are 80% accurate. Peter Geiger, philom and managing editor of Farmers' Almanac, said last week that the Farmers' Almanac's accuracy is up there, too, but scientific analyses of their forecasts have put it in the 50% range.