Here’s What Farmers' Almanac Predicts For Minnesota’s Summer

MINNESOTA — Minnesotans can expect muggy weather next month. The almanac, which has purported to forecast weather conditions since 1818, recently released its summer 2019 outlook for the United States.

The almanac — not to be confused with the old Farmer’s Almanac, which was founded in 1792 — forecasted a muggy and wet summer for areas near and east of the Mississippi River, including “above-normal” precipitation.

“Much of our summer forecast predicts lots of rain, thunderstorms, and wetness during July and August in the Northeast and New England areas” editor Pete Geiger said in a release.

He added that more clouds and showers would probably keep temperatures below the 12 expected 90-degree days that could otherwise be in store. That being said, residents in these areas should count on days with temperatures well into the 80s.

“Add to that the above-normal precipitation, and you’ve got oppressively humid and uncomfortable conditions,” he said.

States in the North- and South-central should expect to see “dangerous weather” in late June, the almanac said. This includes thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, damaging winds and even “devastating” tornadoes.

The South will see oppressive humidity in July, the almanac said, coupled with frequent thunderstorms from the Carolinas down to Georgia. The Southeast will bear the brunt of the hurricane season, with the almanac predicting a tropical disturbance in mid- to late- May, even though the season doesn’t begin until June. A tropical storm could then threaten the region in mid-June, mid-September and mid-October.

The Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Midwest will see heat and humidity in June followed by storms and warm temperatures in July. Less rain was expected west of the Mississippi River, but summer storms — with potentially dangerous hail — were also forecasted for the region overall, with severe weather possible in late July.

Lastly, the Pacific Northwest was projected to see pleasant and fair temperatures through August, but an atypically dry summer despite early rains.

The Farmers’ Almanac has been published annually for more than 200 years, offering long-term weather predictions for the U.S. and Canada. It also contains information on gardening, cooking, home remedies and more. It distributes about 1.7 million copies a year.

Both the new and old almanacs purport to have accuracy rates of about 80 percent and the sun factors into both predictions. The new uses a formula that takes into consideration things like sunspot activity, the moon’s tidal action and the position of other planets. The old uses sunspot activity as well, in addition to climatology and meteorology.

Notably, the two made dueling weather forecasts last year, with the old calling for a mild winter and the new calling for a “teeth-chattering cold” season. For what it’s worth, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a warmer-than-usual winter across the U.S. last year, since it was an El Nino winter season.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.