Farmer’s Almanac Has an Alarming Forecast for this Winter in Northern California

Northern California has been on a roller coaster ride the past decade when it comes to winter weather. The past 7 years have brought forward a significant drought, except for the unusually wet and snowy winters of 2017 and 2019. As we continue to battle this devastating fire season, we can only hope that this winter brings lots of rain and snowpack to alleviate dry conditions.

Unfortunately, the Old Farmer’s Almanac doesn’t think that will be the case.

The oldest weather predictor in the country released their upcoming winter prediction and it brings bad news for Northern California. A cool, dry winter is in store for most of NorCal, according to the publication, and it couldn’t come at a worse time as prolonged drought has brought water storage issues and prolonged fire season to the area.

As you can see, most of California is forecast to see dry conditions in the upcoming winter, with the upper sliver of NorCal (Siskiyou, Del Norte and Modoc counties) potentially looking at some wet weather. The Tahoe and Eastern Sierra regions look like they will fall short of precipitation goals, while the upper portion may see some snow in the Mount Shasta region.

Of course, these things are never full-proof. The predictions are based on 30-year statistical averages prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and updated every ten years. Weather trends and events are predicted by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity. In 2008, the Almanac stated that the earth had entered a global cooling period that would probably last decades, which, as you know, is the exact opposite of what actually happened.

Let’s hope the Old Farmer’s Almanac gets it wrong this year and we see lots of rain and snow in NorCal this winter. Start rain dancing!