Sweat or freeze? The Farmers’ Almanac predictions for the South’s Thanksgiving are out. Here’s more.
Football, turkey, pumpkin pie and. . . .sweaters? Or is it shorts?
No need to worry. The Farmers’ Almanac predictions are in for Thanksgiving, so you’ll be prepared for the weather on turkey day.
But the predictions are good for more than just turkey day– the Farmers’ Almanac forecast covers Nov. 24 through Nov. 27 for those who are traveling this year.
Here’s the prediction for the South.
In Zone 3, which covers the Southeast, including Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, things may get a bit chillier than normal on Thanksgiving Day.
According to the Almanac, Southerners will need to grab a sweater because it will be a “fair, cold” day.
Other zones will see similar weather, plus some rain.
Fair, cold weather:
- In Zone 1 (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C.)
- Zone 2 (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Wisconsin)
Heavy snows (up to 12”):
Zone 4 (Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana)
Zone 5 (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico)
Stormy weather, snow:
Zone 6 (Washington, Oregon and Idaho)
Showery rains, some heavy snow in higher terrain of Arizona:
Zone 7 (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona)
How does the Farmers’ Almanac predict weather?
The Farmers’ Almanac was founded in 1818 and utilizes a secret formula, with components such as “sunspot activity, tidal action, the position of the planet” to predict long-range weather forecasts. The forecasts are typically made two years in advance and are made by Caleb Weatherbee, a pseudonym for all the combined forecasters since the Almanac first began.
Over the years, fans of the Farmers’ Almanac have calculated that the predictions are accurate 80-85% of the time.
What does the National Weather Service say?
The National Weather Service released their long-range forecast predictions in September with an updated version on Oct. 20; it includes predictions for October, November and December.
The NWS has predicted below normal precipitation and slightly above average temperatures in the South.
Predictions for other zones are available on the NWS website.
