Great news for all of you winter weather lovers: this upcoming season is going to be a COLD one! We know, we know—we can practically hear the grumblings from the sun worshippers already, and for good reason. Many parts of the U.S. and Canada will not be SEEING the sun for days on end. Here’s the scoop…

The Old Farmer’s Almanac—the most trusted source in weather predictions since 1792—has just released a report that details some surprising forecasts for winter 2017-2018.

According to the expert meteorologists working with the organization, upper North America will likely be experiencing colder temperatures than last year, a factor that could be blamed on lower-than-normal solar activity.

The interesting thing here is that while temperatures are set to dip much lower than they have in previous years, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is placing its bets on the season still closing as a warmer than average winter.

While it may not end up coming close to the coldest winter on record – that was in 1936, by the way! – it might just shape up to be one of the chillier ones felt in quite a while.

You see, a combination of atmospheric factors, including an increase in greenhouse gases, natural disasters, and natural variation in weather patterns could end up creating an icier, wetter season. Interesting stuff!

What to expect in your region

If you take a good look at the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s map, you’ll quickly see that the predictions can’t be generalized—your winter weather will have everything to do with where you reside.

First, let’s consider the good news; California is set to have a wet, cold winter, which is not necessarily a bad thing for the state. Though most of Cali is out of its infamous drought, about 20% of the state still faces severe drought-like conditions.

On the other hand, the coastal Pacific Northwest, a region that is well-known for its wet weather, should experience drier than normal conditions. Sounds like a good winter to take that trip to Seattle!

Much of the upper Midwest, as well as the lower Northeast, will get a bit of a break this winter from snowy conditions, with some areas, like Wisconsin and Minnesota, even experiencing a fairly mild, dry winter.

Now for the bad news. It looks like the regions that really don’t need any more water will be getting plenty of it. The southern parts of the United States – including Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida – are set to receive higher-than-average levels of rainfall.

Our friends in “The Middle” — i.e. Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska — need to start gathering up their winter gear because they are expected to see more snowfall than they have in recent years. Good to know!

As we said, it’s good news for winter lovers—and pretty much TERRIBLE news for everyone else, right? To get even more essential details on what to expect this upcoming season, be sure to watch the video below. Well, there’s always next year!

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on these weather predictions. Are you a winter warrior or a sun worshipper? What’s the coldest winter you have ever experienced? Do you have any expert tips for staying comfortable in cold weather?