I check the weather at least once a day these days. End of September, early October, in my part of Kansas, I anxiously await the cooler days of fall; cool enough that a person might be able to use the outdoors as nature’s cooler and hang a whitetail deer carcass to age for a day or so. The first frost of the year means we’ll be putting some Inchelium Red Garlic into the ground, the mosquitoes and chiggers will be done for the year, poison ivy will begin to go dormant, and I’ll start spending as much time in the woods as I possibly can, hunting whitetail deer and trying to build up our freezer supply. I love this time of year. But beyond that, this is also a good time to take a look at The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2015 weather predictions, and see what Mother Nature might have in store for us.
For the winter weather predictions in 2014-2015, The Old Farmer’s Almanac points to Solar Cycle 24 – which began in 2008 – and predicts temperatures in the next year to be colder than normal during winter, and warmer than normal during summer.
This winter, the central and eastern United States will see colder than normal temperatures, while the western one-third of the country will experience above average temps. As for snow, the central part of the country from the Dakotas down to Texas and then east through Georgia and South Carolina can expect cold and dry, while the Corn Belt region will experience the cold with heavier snowfall. In general, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts heavy snowfall for the northeast part of the country, although there are also parts of New England – western Massachusetts, southern Vermont, New Hampshire and most of Maine – that will be dryer than normal. Florida will likely get more precipitation than normal this winter.
Out west, folks can expect mild temperatures and below-average snowfall more or less, although the western part of New Mexico down into the western-most parts of Texas could see cold, snowy conditions. Expect above average temperatures and above average precipitation in most of Washington state.
During summer, we could be in for a hot, dry one here in the middle of the country. Expect hot throughout the country, the only two exceptions being in the southwest and in the mid-Atlantic states, where in both regions they are predicting normal temperatures. Looking at the map of The Old Farmer’s Almanac weather predictions for summer 2015, it’s hard not to think of our food supply as much of the Corn Belt and Middle America could see below average rainfall – same goes for much of California where we are currently already experiencing drought conditions. Here’s to hoping that our corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops do better than the map might suggest.
Looking at the 2015 Old Farmer’s Almanac in general, I’m struck by what a fun publication this thing is to flip through, and how useful it really is. There are the usual types of things like best days for fishing and a wealth of gardening information, but this year’s book also features a handful of mouthwatering recipes and multiple articles that caught my eye, including “What’s Happened to the Quail?” that I had to pause this writing to read.
And that brings to mind some pheasant I still have in the freezer. Here’s to a safe, fruitful hunting season, and if you or anyone you know has an especially noteworthy tale to tell, drop me a line at cregan@grit.com, and we’ll compare notes.
To check out more from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, or to order your copy, visit www.Almanac.com.
