Almanac predicts cold finish to winter
By Herald on January 26, 2021.
A hiker trudges through the snow along the coulee's edge earlier this winter in the Bull Trail Park on the city's westside. Herald file photo by Ian Martens @IMartensHeraldGreg Bobinec
Lethbridge Herald
gbobinec@lethbridgeherald.com
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, North America’s most popular reference guide and oldest published periodical, predicts a colder finish to winter, as spring and summer bring more heat with less precipitation.
An almanac records and predicts astronomical events such as the rising and setting of the sun, tides, weather and other phenomena, with respect to time, to predict how the seasons will play out to help people make informed decisions about future plans.
For the remainder of January, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts the weather to bring some snow showers and colder weather, but sunny conditions with a cold chill throughout the days.
The first few days of February is predicted to be sunny and mild, with a quick turnaround to flurries and colder weather within the second week. The remainder of February is predicted to bring some snowy periods, and the temperature dropping colder towards the end of the month. The month is expected to have an average temperature of -11 degrees Celsius, with around 45mm of precipitation; 30mm above average.
Winter temperatures will be below normal in the west, with the coldest periods in late January and late February. Precipitation and snowfall is predicted to be above normal, with the snowiest periods in mid-February and up until early March.
This spring is looking to be warmer than previous years, with a reduced amount of precipitation starting the season off dry. Summer will also be hotter than normal, with the hottest periods running from late July to mid-August. Rainfall is expected to be above normal in the west and below normal in the east during this time. September and October will also be warmer than normal, with below-normal precipitation.
For gardeners wanting to get an idea for when to start their garden, Lethbridge is predicted to have its last spring frost on May 25, with the first fall frost predicted for September 11, leaving a 108 day growing season.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac not only helps predict the long-range weather forecast to help people make better decisions for outdoor planning, but also has resources including proper planning dates depending on the plant, tips on different gardening, as well as different calendars to track from planting calendars to meteor shower trackers. To find out more information or to order your copy of the 2021 Farmer’s Almanac, visit almanac.com.
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A number of analyses have concluded that the forecasts in The Old Farmer’s Almanac are not very accurate. For example, USA Today states that “according to numerous media analyses neither the Old Farmer’s Almanac nor the Farmers’ Almanac gets it right.” John Walsh at the University of Illinois reviewed five years of monthly forecasts and found 50.7% of the temperature forecasts and 51.9% of precipitation forecasts were in the correct direction, whereas a randomly generated forecast would be correct 50% of the time.