AccuWeather Winter Prediction For Ohio: Snow, Frigid Air Inbound

CLEVELAND — Don’t look now, but winter is coming. Accuweather has released a new, long-range winter weather forecast that’s predicting a wet, arctic cold winter for Ohio.

AccuWeather long-range forecaster Paul Pastelok says the entire Midwest will suffer from biting cold this season. "The polar vortex is particularly strong this year, and that means that frigid air is likely to remain locked up over the polar region early in winter,” Pastelok said.

Lake effect snow is expected to hammer the coastal regions around Lake Erie. Pastelok is predicting an above-average snowfall accumulation throughout the winter. Throw in the biting polar vortex air and the coming winter promises to be brutal for Ohioans.

Across the United States, AccuWeather’s winter prediction is showing an above-normal season for snowfall in the Northeast and Midwest, heavy rainfall in the Southeast, and ample snowfall in the Southwest and California.

What Do The Farmers’ Almanac And Old Farmer’s Almanac Predict For Winter?

AccuWeather isn’t the only organization that’s released a 2019-20 winter prediction, but consensus can be hard to find when it comes to weather.

Followers of the Farmers’ Almanac for instance, are bracing for a snowy, bone-chilling season. Meanwhile, forecasters at the rival Old Farmer’s Almanac are predicting more rain than snow.

The two meteorological publishers have almost identical names, but their long-range forecasts could not be more different.

"This could feel like the never-ending winter, particularly in the Midwest and east to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, where wintery weather will last well into March and even through the first days of spring," said Old Farmer's Almanac editor Janice Stillman.

The Farmer's Almanac predicts a similar winter for Ohio. "We expect yet another wild ride this winter," said Pete Geiger, editor, "with extreme temperatures swings and some hefty snowfalls."

Both outfits use secret formulas to predict the weather that they keep closely guarded, and only time — and winter — will tell which one has it right.