Updated
Updated · Farmers' Almanac · Aug 6
Farmers' Almanac Predicts 2026-27 Winter Swings Across 210th Edition as El Niño Favors a Wet South
Updated
Updated · Farmers' Almanac · Aug 6

Farmers' Almanac Predicts 2026-27 Winter Swings Across 210th Edition as El Niño Favors a Wet South

3 articles · Updated · Farmers' Almanac · Aug 6

Summary

  • The 2026-2027 Farmers' Almanac outlook calls for a sharply uneven winter, with repeated storms, heavy wet snow and mixed precipitation in some regions, but milder stretches broken by quick cold snaps in others.
  • El Niño is expected to steer a very active southern storm track from California and the Southwest through Texas, the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, raising the risk of raw rain, sleet, freezing rain and mountain snow.
  • The Northeast faces one of the trickiest setups, with coastal rain or wintry mix and inland heavy wet snow—especially in January and February—as small temperature shifts could quickly change storm outcomes.
  • Across the West, northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, the Almanac sees near-normal temperatures overall but frequent clippers, sudden snow squalls, blustery winds and brief bitter cold; Chicago was forecast separately for normal winter conditions with cold, snowy periods.
  • The 210th edition says its long-range forecast blends a proprietary formula dating to 1818 with satellite data, computer models and ocean-atmosphere analysis, while noting nature can still upend regional outlooks.

Insights

Will a historically strong El Niño completely shatter the Farmer's Almanac's snowy predictions for Chicago this winter?
Could a collapsing Polar Vortex turn a predicted mild Midwest winter into a sudden, chaotic deep freeze?
Why do millions still trust a secretive, centuries-old forecasting formula over modern meteorology to predict extreme weather?