White Christmas On Way For HV, Almanacs Predict

A white Christmas might not be too much of a pipe dream this year. Hudson Valley Weather has released its annual Winter Outlook, which predicts that the historic Nov. 15 snowstorm is just the beginning of a long snowy season.

Now, the Farmers' Almanac and the Old Farmer's Almanac - yes, they're two separate organizations – are actually predicting snow over the holidays. They see snow hitting the northeast from December 24 through the end of the month.

"Mild air overruns cold air producing widespread wintry precipitation in time for Christmas," predicts the Farmers' Almanac, while the Old Farmer's Almanac agrees: "Snow showers, cold."

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.

For more traditionally scientific forecasters – such as Alex Marra and Bill Potter at Hudson Valley Weather– pinpoint predictions can't be made nearly a month in advance. But they have released their annual Winter Outlook, and they've picked a side in the almanacs' dispute over what's in store for the season as a whole.

The Old Farmer's Almanac expects a warm, wet winter with less snow than normal, while the Farmers' Almanac is predicting bitter cold and a lot of snow.

Hudson Valley Weather predicts above average snowfall and below average temperatures. They've got a scientific method they don't mind sharing.

"We focus on the temperatures and potential snowfall, based on what occurred when conditions were similar in the past. Hopefully, you’re familiar with our method, but if you’re not… don’t worry, we’ll explain as we go," they said. You can read all about it here.

PHOTO/ Lanning Taliaferro