On a sunny day in September, few of us want to think ahead to winter but according to experts we need to brace ourselves this year.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for the winter months to be colder and snowier than normal.
“From Calgary to Quebec, we’re going to be up to our neck,” says Jack Burnett, editor of the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Burnett says the coming winter will be a real monster
“We’re looking at the T-Rex of winters. It’s going to be colder, it’s going to be snowier … it’s not pretty.”
The almanac has a pretty good track record.
“They are right about 75% of the time we hope they’re going to be 25% wrong,” says farmer Carl Bolton.
Actually its accuracy rate is closer to 80%.
Burk Devries is a farmer with a part-time job on the side.
“I’m happy because we’re in the horse-drawn sleigh ride business so the longer the winter the longer our business stays going.”
Many farmers say they have their own ways of predicting weather.
“The wider the black stripe on the caterpillar, the long the winter,” says one farmer.
And the news for next summer doesn’t get much better; the almanac says it’s expected to be milder and wet.
2015 predictions for Canada
Spring:
- Near or slightly below normal temperatures across Canada
- Precipitation below normal in Quebec, above normal in Ontario, near normal elsewhere
Summer:
- Above-normal temperatures, everywhere except Vancouver Island
- Above-normal rainfall in Maritimes westward through Prairies
- Below normal in British Columbia
Fall:
- Above-normal temperatures from the Maritimes westward through Ontario
- Below-normal from Manitoba to the Pacific Ocean
- Precipitation slightly above normal in Prairies, at or below elsewhere
With files from CTVNews.ca
