LEWISTON, Maine — I'll be honest, as a meteorologist and forecaster myself, looking at the Farmers' Almanac for their prognostications isn't high on my list. Their predictive formula is secret, and seasonal forecasting is a tricky business, after all.
But every August, the Lewiston-based almanac is known nationwide for its annual release, filled with great astronomy information, life hacks and secret weather insight.
Editor Peter Geiger makes his first stop every year at NEWS CENTER Maine, with the inside scoop behind the almanac.
Geiger doesn't get into the specifics about their formula but says sunspot activity and climatology are part of the equation.
This year's winter outlook is for a 'polar coaster,' projecting another rough winter for the northeast.
The almanac says "The biggest drop—with the most freefalling, frigid temperatures—is forecasted to take hold from the northern Plains into the Great Lakes. The Northeast, including the densely populated corridor running from Washington to Boston, will experience colder-than-normal temperatures for much of the upcoming winter."
Geiger tells us last year's almanac was in the ballpark, projecting long winter with mixed precipitation events, and a sluggish start to spring.
He says Maine's spring in 2020 may be similar, with a slow climb out of winter late in April into early May.
While their formula and approach are secret and there's no way of telling how much meteorology is used in the analysis, it's a fun look at the season ahead each August, produced right here in Maine and read worldwide.