Flowers or Snowdrifts? The Old Farmer's Almanac Reveals Spring 2026 Forecast
Spring is still months away, but a historic publication famed for its long-range forecast, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, has a few thoughts on how the season, which officially starts in late March, could unfold.
Does The Old Farmer’s Almanac think chilly weather is on the way? Will the barren conditions across the West get a snowy bookend? Can skiers look forward to more powder days?
Overall, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the story of spring is mostly warm and dry.
“Spring outlook predicts warmer-than-normal temperatures across much of the United States, with a few exceptions,” the forecasters wrote.
The precipitation forecast is similar.
“Much of the country is forecast to experience drier-than-normal conditions,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac added.
But there are exceptions.
Parts of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Montana are slated for wet and cool weather. To the skiers in this part of the country hoping for fresh flakes even as winter winds down, that should be good news.
Meanwhile, some states around the Great Lakes, like Minnesota and Wisconsin, fall into the “wet and warm” bucket—perhaps a sign of snow, depending on where the freezing levels end up.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Spring 2026 Forecast
Almanac.com/Spring-Forecast
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The Old Farmer’s Almanac, like its recently revived competitor, the Farmers’ Almanac, relies on a “secret” formula to make its long-range forecasts. This approach was derived in 1872 by the founder of TheOld Farmer’s Almanac, Robert B. Thomas.
Despite being tight-lipped, though, the publication shares some details about how its forecasts are made.
They rely on solar science, climatology, and meteorology, and have “refined and enhanced Thomas’s formula with state-of-the-art technology and modern science,” according to a web page about the forecasts.
What Does the Climate Prediction Center Say About Spring 2026?
The Climate Prediction Center, a federal agency, also publishes long-range weather outlooks.
Their prediction for the period between March and May 2026 shares some similarities with the forecast published by The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
According to The Climate Prediction Center, the southern half of the U.S. and the Northeast are both leaning towards above-normal temperatures. In the northern half, it could go either way: warmer or cooler.
As for the precipitation, the Southwest, including California, Utah, and Colorado, is leaning drier. Around the Great Lakes, above normal precipitation is the likeliest outcome.
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