NYC Winter Forecast 2024: Top almanacs' conflicting outlooks on temps, snow
NEW YORK CITY - A farmer's almanac fight?
The Old Farmer's Almanac, which was established in 1792 in New Hampshire, released its new winter outlook this week – just two weeks after The Farmers' Almanac, established in 1818 in Maine, unleashed its own winter outlook.
JUMP TO: THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC l THE FARMERS' ALMANAC l NOAA
Both boast high accuracy in their forecasts, but this year, they’ve predicted nearly "polar" opposite winters in many spots, including the NYC area.
Here's the winter outlook from The Old Farmer's Almanac, The Farmers' Almanac and what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is saying.
Timeline: First day of winter 2024
The astronomical start of winter will kick off with the winter solstice on Dec. 21.
The Old Farmer's Almanac: Winter outlook
The Old Farmer's Almanac says its centuries-old formula for predicting the winter uses a mix of solar science and the study of sunspots, climatology and meteorology.
"This winter, temperatures will be up and snowfall down throughout most of the United States," Carol Connare, the Old Farmer's Almanac's editor-in-chief, wrote in a news release announcing its winter prognostication. "While there will still be plenty of chilly temperatures and snow for most slopes, the high heating costs associated with the season shouldn’t hit so hard. We’re predicting a temperate, uneventful winter – potentially a welcome reprieve from the extremes of recent years."
The Old Farmer's Almanac Winter Outlook for 2024-25. (The Old Farmer's Almanac)
It's especially true in the interior Northeast, where it predicts a "gentler-than-normal season" that’s "not so rough and tough."
For the Interstate 95 corridor, which includes the Tri-State area, snowfall is predicted to be below average in the North but above average in the South, with the coldest temperatures in early and late January and late February.
The Farmers' Almanac: Winter outlook
Meanwhile, The Farmers' Almanac says to "brace yourself for a Wet Winter Whirlwind!" Their annual extended weather prediction calls for a season of rapid-fire storms that will bring both rain and snow.
What is La Niña?
The listing shows a very active storm track that will deliver frequent bouts of heavy precipitation and strong and gusty winds over most of the eastern half of the country. However, the outlook notes that the effects of La Niña will make a difference in how the weather will be.
Typical La Niña impacts
La Niña describes the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. According to NOAA, La Niña is arriving a bit later than expected, with forecasts indicating an emergence during the winter.
Forecast: Where will it snow in NYC?
According to their outlook, the Northeast will be stormy with above-normal amounts of winter precipitation and near-to-above-normal temperatures.
"The coldest outbreak of the season will come during the final week of January into the beginning of February, when frigid Arctic air brings a sharp plunge in temperatures almost nationwide," the Farmers' Almanac wrote.
They also predict the heaviest snowfall will fall over the interior and mountainous areas, while the coast will see sleet and rain – especially near and along the I-95 corridor.
2024-2025 winter predictions: Dates to remember
The almanac is "red flagging" the final week of January due to a very active storm track across most of the country's eastern half.
Here's a look at the Farmers’ Almanac winter 2025 extended weather forecast. (FOX Weather)
If you are a planner, block out Jan. 20 through Jan. 27, particularly for that tropical getaway. That's when the Farmers' Almanac outlook likely showed "copious amounts of snow, rain, sleet and ice" depending on where you live.
"We would especially highlight the time frames from January 20 to 23 and 24 to 27, which could mean copious amounts of snow, rain, sleet, and ice (depending on where you live)," the Farmers' Almanac said.
What does NOAA say?
While NOAA doesn't attempt to predict specific periods in winter when the weather might be particularly eventful, as both almanacs do, it does issue seasonal outlooks for successive three-month periods.
NOAA winter outlook. (FOX Weather)
Peeking at its outlook that covers December, January and February, it is leaning more toward the idea of an overall mild winter across the South and East, limiting forecasts for a colder, wetter winter to the Pacific Northwest (three-for-three!) into the northern Plains.
NOAA winter precipitation outlook. (FOX Weather)
NOAA’s outlook has a heavy La Niña influence, whose winters tend to be cooler and wetter across the North and milder and drier across the South.
FOX Weather's Scott Sistek helped contribute to this report.