Feature
Old Farmer’s Almanac Calls for Colder than Usual Winter in Texas
For more than 230 years, the Old Farmers’ Almanac has published long-term weather forecasts that many tout as remarkably precise. And while many consider the Almanac “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor,” the weather forecasts have been about 80 percent accurate
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throughout the years, which is considered a high mark. The 2020 Almanac predicted: “this coming winter Texas weather will mix intervals of tranquil weather with occasional shots of cold and wintry precipitation, but overall may seem to be a bit
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“temperamental.” That last year’s winter was ‘tempermental” is an understatement. So what does the 2022 Almanac have in store for Texas and the U.S. as a whole this winter? A whole lot of shivering! The Texas/Oklahoma regional forecast says that winter will be colder than normal, especially in the south, with the coldest periods in mid- to late November, mid- and late December, and early and late January. Precipitation will be below normal in the north and above normal in the south. Snowfall will be near normal, with the best chances for snow in early and late January, mainly in the north. How does the rest of the year fare? April and May are predicted to be warmer than normal, with rainfall below normal in the north and above normal in the south. Summer will be hotter than usual. Texas and Oklahoma won’t be the only regions predicted to have a cold winter. The Almanac predicts that most of the U.S. will be colder than normal. “This coming winter could well be one of the longest and coldest that we’ve seen in years,” says Janice Stillman, editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
