What Does Winter Have In Store This Season?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, first published in 1792, has long been known as the go-to source for seasonal forecasting (and a healthy dose of wit!). The Almanac, now in its 224th year, was born the year George Washington was president, and patrons paid a mere nine cents a copy. Followers of the famous publication can look for the annual release each September.

The secret formula used to make the forecasts is locked away in a black box in Dublin, New Hampshire, at their main office. Three areas of science are used to make the esteemed predictions: solar science, climatology and meteorology. Combined, this special formula regularly produces 80 percent accurate forecasts.

Even though our October weather has been warm thus far, fall is officially upon us, which means winter isn’t far behind! As all Iowans know, winter weather can come without warning, so the earlier you prepare the better. To relieve some of the unpredictability of our winters, we dipped into the expertise of the Old Farmer’s Almanac to help give Iowans an idea of what to expect this year.

According to The Des Moines Register’s article with Almanac Editor Tim Clark, Iowa is set to have a typical winter followed by a dry summer. Our first frost for the year is predicted to be October 12 – only a couple days away!

What you predicting? More snow than usual? Unseasonably warm weather? Head to our Facebook page and add your winter weather prediction to the list!

Do you have questions about preparing your lawn, trees and planting beds for winter? Our experts are here and ready to discuss your winter needs and help ease the demands of winter maintenance.