Even as we swelter through the last stretch of summer’s “dog days,” the upcoming winter outlooks for the 2022-2023 season from the
Farmers’ Almanac and The Old Farmer’s Almanac are enough to send shivers down one’s spine. According to the Farmers’
Almanac (in publication since 1818), states in the North-Central U.S. are forecast to experience extremely cold temperatures during mid-January — possibly as cold as 40°F below zero. Colder than average temps could dip down into the Southeast and Mid-South as well. The Southwest U.S., however, is forecast to be milder than normal. Precipitation-wise, the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a stormy winter, especially for the eastern half of the
country. January 2023 looks to be the stormiest for many areas including Texas and Oklahoma, where heavy snow is predicted during the first week. Conversely, a dry winter is predicted for the Southwest states, exacerbating the ongoing drought situation. Last year, the Farmers’
Almanac successfully predicted many of the winter storms that defined the 2021-2022 campaign, including the early-season nor’easter at the end of October, and the blizzard in the last week of April that blanketed parts of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.
Similarly, early indications coming from The Old Farmer’s Almanac (in publication since 1792) are pointing to what will be a memorable winter campaign. “One half of the U.S. will be dealing with bone-chilling cold and loads of snow,” says Janice Stillman, Editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, “while the other half may feel like winter never really arrives.”
BASF: Delivering Consistent Performance in 2022
Visit FarmersAlmanac.com and Almanac.com for more details about each publication’s extended winter forecast for 2022-2023.
88 88 5 Extended Winter Weather Forecast for 2022-2023 Goes to the ‘Extreme’
Paul Rusnak is Senior Managing Online Editor for the U.S. Horticulture Group of Meister Media Worldwide. See all author stories here.
This year La Niña returns for the third consecutive winter, driving warmer-than-average temperatures for the Southwest and along the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released today by the Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service. Starting in December 2022 through February 2023, NOAA predicts
drier-than-average conditions across the South with wetter-than-average conditions for areas of the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest. “The hardworking forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center produce timely and accurate seasonal outlooks and short-term forecasts year-round,” said Michael Farrar, Ph.D., director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.
“NOAA’s new supercomputers are enabling us to develop even better, more detailed forecast capabilities, which we’ll be rolling out in the coming years.” NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), continue to monitor extreme, ongoing drought
conditions that have persisted in the Western U.S. since late 2020, as well as parts of the central U.S. where historic low-water conditions are currently present. “Drought conditions are now present across approximately 59% of the country, but parts of the Western U.S and southern Great Plains will continue to be the hardest hit this winter,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief, Operational Prediction Branch, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “With the La Niña climate pattern still in place,
drought conditions may also expand to the Gulf Coast.” Temperature
- The greatest chance for warmer-than-average conditions are in western Alaska, and the Central Great Basin and Southwest extending through the Southern Plains.
- Warmer-than-average temperatures are also favored in the Southeastern U.S. and along the Atlantic coast.
- Below-normal temperatures are favored from the Pacific Northwest eastward to the western Great Lakes and the Alaska Panhandle.
Precipitation
- Wetter-than-average conditions are most likely in western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.
- The greatest chances for drier-than-average conditions are forecast in portions of California, the Southwest, the southern Rockies, southern Plains, Gulf Coast and much of the Southeast.
- The remainder of the U.S. falls into the category of equal chances for below-, near-, or above-average seasonal total precipitation.
Drought
- Widespread extreme drought continues to persist across much of the West, the Great Basin, and the central-to-southern Great Plains.
- Drought is expected to impact the middle and lower Mississippi Valley this winter.
- Drought development is expected to occur across the South-central and Southeastern U.S., while drought conditions are expected to improve across the Northwestern U.S. over the coming months.
About NOAA's seasonal outlooks
NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide the likelihood that temperatures and total precipitation amounts will be above-, near- or below-average, and how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center updates the three-month outlook each month. The next update will be available November 17.
Seasonal outlooks help communities prepare for what is likely to come in the months ahead and minimize weather's impacts on lives and livelihoods. Resources such as drought.gov and climate.gov provide comprehensive tools to better understand and plan for climate-driven hazards. Empowering people with actionable forecasts, seasonal predictions and winter weather safety tips is key to NOAA’s effort to build a more Weather- and Climate-Ready Nation.
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