Bucks Countians should keep their snow shovels, rain boots, and ice scrapers within arm’s reach this winter, at least if you’re following the Farmers’ Almanac winter forecast.
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According to the released long-range forecast for the 2026–2027 winter season, the region, which covers New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., and the six New England states, faces one of the most complicated winter weather patterns in recent years.
Coastal communities are projected to see a higher frequency of rain and mixed precipitation, while inland areas could be battered by several rounds of heavy, wet snow, particularly throughout January and February.
Forecasters at the publication stated that minor shifts in storm tracks and temperatures could spell the difference between rain, sleet, freezing rain, and accumulating snow.
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Nationally, the upcoming winter is expected to feature an active, wet southern storm track combined with quick blasts of cold air and snow across the North.
The forecast arrives after a strong winter last year.
The National Weather Service recorded 44.3 inches of snowfall in Trenton — the city’s highest total since the 2013–2014 season.
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Trenton’s all-time seasonal snowfall record stands at 76.5 inches, which was set during the winter of 1995–1996.
The 2027 print edition of the Farmers’ Almanac marks the 210th edition of the publication, which has issued long-range forecasts continuously since its founding in 1818.
Credit: Gabrielle Spalding
The Farmers’ Almanac was set to end its print edition this year, but a new company purchased the brand after an earlier announcement that the 2026 edition would be its last.
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“The Farmers’ Almanac belongs in print,” said Editor Tim Konrad. “For generations, readers have kept it in their homes, carried it with them, written notes in its margins, and returned to it throughout the year. We are proud to announce that this tradition will continue with the publication of our 210th edition in 2027.”
Konrad added that the company is looking to protect the character and history of the publication while ensuring its knowledge remains accessible.
The 2027 print edition will be available starting Aug. 25 through retailers and online at FarmersAlmanac.com.
According to the publication, the Farmers’ Almanac’s proprietary forecasting method relies on four primary inputs: 11-year sunspot cycles, lunar positions, long-period tidal patterns, and 200 years of historical regional weather data.
Credit: Charlie Sahner/New Hope Free Press
Although the exact mathematical formula remains secret, the publication claims an 80% to 85% regional accuracy rate.
Over its two-century history, the publication has logged notable successes, including predicting unusual cold ahead of the 1816 “year without a summer,” calling major Northeast storms prior to the 1888 Great Blizzard, and forecasting “teeth-chatteringly cold” conditions ahead of the 2017–2018 winter. It also correctly anticipated the cold conditions during the 2014 Polar Vortex.
The Farmers’ Almanac also has many big misses. It predicted a colder-than-average winter for 2011–2012, which turned out to be one of the warmest on record for the Eastern U.S. It also called for “normal” conditions ahead of the historic 2009–2010 “snowmageddon” storms and under-called the severity of the historic 1976–1977 winter.
“No forecast is perfect,” the publication said.
