If you’re a weather junkie, chances are you know a little something about Dublin, New Hampshire’s “The Old Farmer’s Almanac.” The weather prediction and agricultural publication, which has been around for over 225 years, is an old standby, particularly because: 1) it’s been around for so long and 2) it boasts an 80% accuracy rating. Not too shabby!

But, just because there is one New England-based farmer’s almanac out there, doesn’t mean that there can’t be two. Case in point: Lewiston, Maine’s “Farmer’s Almanac.” Like “The Old Farmer’s Almanac,” the “Farmer’s Almanac” has been around for many generations, since 1818 to be exact.

What’s particularly confusing about the publications–besides their very similar names!– is the fact that the two don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to weather forecasting. As a matter of fact, they are making significantly different predictions about the 2018-2019 winter season.

Let’s start with the original, “The Old Farmer’s Almanac”…

The experts at the “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” are predicting “below-normal levels of snowfall in areas that normally get snow.” This goes for much of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest. Based on their predictions, though, it does look like the Pacific Northwest will be experiencing more snow. 

Now, onto the “Farmer’s Almanac.” The “new school” predicts that the areas that normally get a lot of snow (i.e. the Northwest and parts of the Upper Midwest) are going to see even greater-than-normal snowfall this year, accompanied by bitter temperatures. The publication also predicts that areas of the Pacific Northwest are going to experience “typical winter temperatures.”

If you’ve been reading carefully, you’ll notice that the two organizations beg to differ when it comes to this forthcoming winter’s weather patterns, specifically the patterns in the Northeast. This is probably because they follow different weather-predicting techniques that help them draw their conclusions.

You see, “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” follows a “secret formula” that takes into consideration solar science, climatology, and meteorology. Conversely, “The Farmer’s Almanac,” uses an astronomical and mathematical formula developed in 1818 for its predictions.

So, there you have it–this is the reason why you’re probably getting mixed messages about the upcoming winter season. Whatever transpires, we hope that your area stays relatively warm and snow-free!

We’d love to hear your take on this almanac rivalry. Which one do you trust? What do you think this winter will be like? Do you have any tools of your own for predicting the weather?