Farmers' Almanac Releases NJ Winter 2019 Forecast: It's A Doozy

Remember how bad things got in March? We could be getting a whole winter of weather just like that, if the new Farmers' Almanac is to be believed.

The Farmers' Almanac has released its long-range prediction for winter 2019. The news won't be good for New Jersey, unless you like to go sledding or you drive a four-wheel-drive truck. But even those activities could prove to be difficult with this forecast.

New Jersey will endure blustery and bitter winds, as well as widespread snow showers, according to the Farmers' Almanac released this week. It's a bleak forecast, basically with an outlook that says winter 2019 will be "colder-than-normal… from the Continental Divide east through the Appalachians."

The forecast draws a sharp contrast from the Old Farmer's Almanac, which said we can look forward to a warm winter with less snow than normal in New Jersey this year.

Read more: Old Farmer's Almanac Issues Winter 2019 Forecast For NJ

Winter will hang on with stormy conditions up through the official start of spring, especially for the East Coast, the Almanac says. It also forecasts an unusually snowy and/or wet winter across New Jersey and other Mid-Atlantic States.

"In these regions, the thermometer will be hovering just above or just below the freezing mark, which means some of the precipitation may fall as either ice or rain/freezing rain."

For New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic states, expect:

• Colder than normal temperatures.
• More snowfall than normal.
• Bitter cold, winds and snow from mid-February.
• Cold to keep its grip on the region after the official start of spring.

"Contrary to the stories storming the web, our time-tested, long-range formula is pointing toward a very long, cold, and snow-filled winter," said the Almanac's editor Peter Geiger. "We stand by our forecast and formula, which accurately predicted the many storms last winter, as well as this summer's steamy, hot conditions."

The Old Farmer's Almanac has been forecasting the weather since 1792 and was founded by Robert B. Thomas who lived in Maine. The Farmers' Almanac was founded In New Hampshire by David Young in 1818. Both use secret formulas to predict the weather that they keep closely guarded.

Here is the forecast for the fall and winter months:

SEPTEMBER 2018

• 1−3: Scattered showers for Labor Day, then fair.
• 4−7: Fair, warm, humid.
• 8−11: Thunderstorms sweep in from the west across much of New England, then fair.
• 12−15: Unsettled weather, with showers, spreads up from the south.
• 16−19: Scattered showers, then turning fair. 20−23: Sunny skies.
• 24−27: Fair, unseasonably chilly. 28−30: Wet New England, Northeast, then fair, chilly.

OCTOBER 2018

• 1−3: Fair/cold.
• 4−7: Showery.
• 8−11: Turning fair, colder for Columbus Day.
• 12−15: Cold winds, rain at first, followed by clearing skies.
• 16−19: Pleasant early fall weather.
• 20−23: Showers for upstate New York, New England, with wet snow over Adirondacks, White and Green Mountains, then fair/cold.
• 24−27: Fair initially, then showers spread in from the west.
• 28−31: Unseasonably chilly weather for Halloween.

NOVEMBER 2018

• 1−3: Very unsettled, with wet snow over northern NY and New England.
• 4−7: Cold/dry. Runners participating in the TCS Marathon in New York City will feel invigorated.
• 8−11: Wet weather, then fair/cold. 12−15: Sunny.
• 16−19: Some rain, wet snow, then fair/cold.
• 20−23: Will weather improve by Thanksgiving? Wet New England, Northeast, then fair.
• 24−27: Fair and cold. 28−30: Stormy; rain/sleet/wet snow.

DECEMBER 2018

• 1−3: Fast-moving storm from the Great Lakes spreads gusty winds, moderate-to-heavy precipitation into New England, the Northeast.
• 4−7: Snow showers and scattered flurries, then clearing.
• 8−11: Fair. 12−15: Increasing cloudiness/cold.
• 16−19: Coastal storm brings strong winds and heavy precipitation.
• 20−23: Dry, tranquil.
• 24−27: Mild air produces widespread wintry precipitation in time for Christmas.
• 28−31: Another coastal storm brings a renewed threat of precipitation as 2018 comes to a close.

JANUARY 2019

• 1−3: Wet snow and rain New England, extending south to Mid-Atlantic. Mixed precipitation for Mummers Parade.
• 4−7: A new disturbance brings unstable weather.
• 8−11: Big storm to the west brings significant rain/mixed precipitation.
• 12−15: Storm moves northeast from Gulf of Mexico, bringing more precipitation. Much colder.
• 16−19: Cold, some snow.
• 20−23: Clearing skies and cold.
• 24−27: Clear skies, frigid.
• 28−31: Clouds, chance of rain/snow; milder.

FEBRUARY 2019

• 1−3: Coastal storm brings wet snow, rain.
• 4−7: Short-lived quiet spell; unsettled weather returns by the 7th.
• 8−11: Cold, light snow/flurries in the north.
• 12−15: As a cold front passes through, so do snow showers, squalls, blustery winds, followed by some of winter's coldest temperatures.
• 16−19: Light snow and flurries for Presidents' Day weekend.
• 20−23: New England: rain, snow; rain or mixed precipitation farther south.
• 24−28: Cloudy, then turning unsettled, with rain, snow, gusty winds.

MARCH 2019

• 1−3: Clouds increase; winds freshen.
• 4−7: East Coast storm brings gusty winds, moderate to heavy precipitation. Heavy rains/snows for New England; lesser amounts south.
• 8−11: Clouds and sun.
• 12−15: Turning frigid.
• 16−19: Storm brings wind, heavy rain.
• 20−23: Large storm along southeast coast deposits rain, snow, moves north.
• 24−27: Warming up.
• 28−31: Colder. Midwest storm brings heavy snow to north, heavy showers/thunderstorms to south.

With reporting by Patch Editor Adam Nichols

Photos courtesy of Helena Mitchell, State Police, Farmers' Almanac and Shutterstock