By RIK STEVENS
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – The other jury is in: A second periodical used for everything from predicting the weather to helping people lose weight agrees that this winter’s shaping up to be cold and snowy.
The Dublin, N.H.-based Old Farmer’s Almanac which, at 222, is believed to be the oldest continuously published periodical in North America, is predicting that a drop in solar activity and a change in ocean patterns point to colder-than- average temperatures and higher-than-average snowfall totals.
The Maine-based Farmer’s Almanac said much the same. The younger cousin has been published for a mere 197 years.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a cold winter for every region but the lower Great Lakes, upper Midwest and the northern states of the Northeast.
“Sweaters and snow shovels should be unpacked early and kept close by throughout the season,” said Janice Stillman, editor of the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Coming out of winter, the almanac says the country can expect warmer, drier conditions into spring and that fears of a drought will persist into summer for several areas.
There are other morsels of sage advice in the almanac. For example, if you’re trying to grab or rescue a scared pet or wild animal, you’re going to get bitten so try covering it with a blanket or towel.
And of course, in keeping with its origins as an aid for farmers, the almanac is packed with growing tips, advice on planting with the moon’s phases and information on animal husbandry.
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