The 2010 Old Farmer’s Almanac, Canadian Edition is out on shelves now.
The Farmer’s Almanac, which is 218 years old, was mostly used by farmers and fisherman for planting tips and phases of the moon centuries ago.
The Canadian Edition is 30 years old this year and is most well known for its long term weather forecasts for 5 regions of Canada.
On Soundingboard recently publication spokesperson Jack Burnett says the Farmer’s Almanac can look so far ahead in the forecast because they use very old formulas and take into account 3 factors.
Burnett says the first one is climatology which is the long term weather trends.
Second is meteorology which Burnett says is the more localized things like lake effects, snow cover and clouds.
The third factor, which sets apart the Almanac from Environment Canada is solar radiation, such as sunspots and the effect that has on our weather.
Burnett says they also look for a pattern in the past that resembles a pattern in the present.
About 80 per cent of the weather predictions are correct – but in the past 3 years it has been more like 70 per cent.
The Almanac is predicting this winter to be a bit colder than normal but also more dyer with less snow.
Burnett says all in all looks like a normal winter just pulled back a bit.
Looking all the way ahead to next summer the Almanac is predicting it to be a bit cooler and little bit dyer.
Burnett says we should have hot weather mid to late June, July and August – So it looks like an OK summer.
The Canadian Edition of the 2010 Farmers Almanac is available in almost every bookstore and online at www.shop.almanac.com