Lethbridge Herald

Almanac predicts cold finish to winter

- Greg Bobinec LETHBRIDGE HERALD

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, North America’s most popular reference guide and oldest published periodical predicts a colder finish to winter, as spring and summer bring more heat with less precipitat­ion.

An almanac records and predicts astronomic­al events such as the rising and setting of the sun, tides, weather and other phenomena, with respect to time, to predict how the seasons will play out to help people make informed decisions about future plans.

For the remainder of January, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts the weather to bring some snow showers and colder weather, but sunny conditions with a cold chill throughout the days.

The first few days of February is predicted to be sunny and mild, with a quick turnaround to flurries and colder weather within the second week.

The remainder of February is predicted to bring some snowy periods, and the temperatur­e dropping colder towards the end of the month.

The month is expected to have an average temperatur­e of -11 degrees Celsius, with around 45mm of precipitat­ion; 30mm above average.

Winter temperatur­es will be below normal in the west, with the coldest periods in late January and late February. Precipitat­ion and snowfall is predicted to be above normal, with the snowiest periods in mid-February and up until early March.

This spring is looking to be warmer than previous years, with a reduced amount of precipitat­ion starting the season off dry.

Summer will also be hotter than normal, with the hottest periods running from late July to mid-August. Rainfall is expected to be above normal in the west and below normal in the east during this time. September and October will also be warmer than normal, with below-normal precipitat­ion.

For gardeners wanting to get an idea for when to start their garden, Lethbridge is predicted to have its last spring frost on May 25, with the first fall frost predicted for September 11, leaving a 108 day growing season.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac not only helps predict the longrange weather forecast to help people make better decisions for outdoor planning, but also has resources including proper planning dates depending on the plant, tips on different gardening, as well as different calendars to track from planting calendars to meteor shower trackers.

To find out more informatio­n or to order your copy of the 2021 Farmer’s Almanac, visit almanac.com.

Follow @GBobinecHe­rald on Twitter

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada