Farmers' Almanac predicts cold, wet winter ahead for Ohio

The U.S. is in for a wet and cold winter due partially to La Niña, according to the Farmers' Almanac's extended winter forecast.

For centuries, the Farmers' Almanac has been predicting weather for the United States. While the communication medium has shifted from printed booklets delivered by horse, train or foot to digital information delivered by the Internet, the Farmers' Almanac is still at it in 2024.

This year, it's predicting a "Wet Winter Whirlwind" that will peak near the end of January and the beginning of February.

Here's what the almanac had to say about the upcoming weather.

What does the Farmers' Almanac say about winter in Columbus, Central Ohio?

While the Almanac doesn't single out Columbus in its forecast, it does have some predictions for the region.

The Ohio Valley, Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see above-average precipitation this winter. The Ohio region in particular is marked as "cold, wet, and white" on an almanac map.

A "very active" storm track is predicted to sweep through Ohio and the eastern U.S. in the final week of January, bringing "frequent bouts" of gusty winds and heavy precipitation. Specifically, January 20-27 could see "copious amounts of snow, rain, sleet, and ice," according to the almanac.

What does the Farmers' Almanac say about the fall in Columbus?

There's still one more season between Columbus and the winter . And the Farmers Almanac has predictions for it, too.

Ohio is in for a frosty and wet fall, according to the almanac. October, which is usually the clearest time of year for the eastern U.S., will see as much as twice as many cloudy and rainy days this year.

At least Halloween will be dry in Ohio, according to the almanac. Election Day will be clear for the eastern U.S., too.

What does the Farmers' Almanac say about the rest of summer 2024 in Columbus?

There's still around a month of summer left. Here's what the almanac says Ohio is in for.

• Aug. 24-27: Heavy rains gradually subside, turns somewhat cooler, drier.
• Aug. 28-31 : There will be a round of unseasonably chilly air.
• Sept. 1-3 : It'll be an unseasonably chilly Labor Day holiday.
• Sept. 4-7 : First there will be showers, then clearing and unseasonably chilly air extends east from the Great Lakes.
• Sept. 8-11 : Another strong push of unseasonably chilly air will spill across the Great Lakes, moving south. Heavy showers will sweep east out of the Ohio River Valley.
• Sept. 12-15 : Showers and thunderstorms form the Great Lakes will extend south to Kentucky, then temperatures will cool.
• Sept. 16-19 : There will be showers.
• Sept. 20-23 : There will be light showers.

What is La Niña?

La Niña is a recurring climate pattern that occurs when trade winds that push warm water west from South America toward Asia are stronger than usual. Colder water rises to the surface to replenish the warm water pushed off to Asia, which in turn affects weather patterns in the U.S.

A cooler Pacific Ocean causes the Pacific jet stream, a fast-moving current of air that circles the globe, to move north, leading to colder and wetter conditions in northern states like Ohio and warmer and drier conditions in the southern U.S., according to the National Weather Service .

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Farmers' Almanac predicts cold, wet winter ahead for Ohio