After Predicting May's Storms, Farmer's Almanac Looks To Summer

CONNECTICUT – It may have been a day or two off, but the Farmer's Almanac's prediction for mid-May was almost right on the mark – "very unsettled; numerous showers, thunderstorms," warned the forecast that was made a month ago.

The weather sure was unsettled in Connecticut last week. A powerful storm system spawned four tornadoes in Connecticut and caused more damage to the electrical grid than Superstorm Sandy. Some are still without power nearly a week after the storm.

The latest long range forecast from the magazine has long stretches of pleasant weather after an unsettled remainder of May, though it does warn of storms.

Dates to watch out for include June 4 to 7 when it's going to rain, and the downpours will return around the 20th. The first few days of July will be "oppressively hot," it predicts. July 4 will be a stormy holiday.

The Farmers' Almanac has been publishing long-range forecasts since 1818, based on what it calls a "top secret mathematical and astronomical formula that relies on sunspot activity, tidal action, planetary position and many other factors."

Here's a more detailed look at the forecast:

May
24th-27th. Very unsettled, then fair, pleasant.
28th-31st. Scattered thunderstorm activity.

June
1st-3rd. Skies clear across the Northeast.
4th-7th. Wet weather.
8th-11th. Mostly fair skies. Looks dry for the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes at Elmont, Long Island, NY.
12th-15th. Showers for much of the Northeast, New England, then fair.
16th-19th. A spell of fine, dry weather.
20th-23rd. Heavy rains, then turning fair.
24th-27th. Hot, dry, then thunderstorms, especially across Pennsylvania.
28th-30th. Mostly fair, turning hot again.

July
1st-3rd. Oppressively hot: many 90s; a few 100s
4th-7th. Stormy Independence Day, then turning fair.
8th-11th. Hot again, then scattered showers then clearing skies.
12th-15th. Fair weather.

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