Winter is still a few months off, but if you love the snow — or if you do everything you can to stay out of it — you may already be wondering what the season will bring.
Nationwide, it’s expected to be a “mostly mild” winter, with some “pockets of wild,” according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which said that “most areas will experience near-normal to slightly milder temperatures,” while some areas “should brace for a sharper chill.”
So, where does Washington fall on that spectrum? Here’s a look at the state’s winter forecast:
In the Pacific Northwest weather region — which includes Western Washington, Western Oregon and part of Northern California — it appears a mild winter may be in the cards, with some “chilly spells and below-average snow,” according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Temperatures are expected to be above normal, with the coldest weather hitting in late November, early December and early February, per The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The region’s winter forecast shows below-normal rain and snowfall, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which said it’ll be snowiest in the early part of February.
In the Intermountain weather region — which includes Eastern Washington and Oregon, all of Idaho, and parts of several other states — a “mild winter with mixed precipitation and fluctuating snow amounts” is forecast, per The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s expected to be warmer than normal, with the coldest weather hitting in late November, early December and early February. Precipitation is forecast to be “slightly above normal,” and snowfall is expected to be less than normal up north and above normal in the more southern part of the region.
Meanwhile, some other weather sources had their own takes. An outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center put the probability needle toward below normal for temperatures in much of the state in December through February. And the Farmers’ Almanac, which is separate from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, said “the Pacific Northwest mountains are gearing up for some impressive snowfall totals” this winter, while the Northwest, including Washington and Idaho, should “prepare for a cold winter.”
The winter season kicks off in December, although the specific date depends on whether you’re going by the meteorological or astronomical definition, The Old Farmer’s Almanac said. The meteorological start of winter is Dec. 1, per The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which said “meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle and climatological patterns observed on Earth.”
Meanwhile, “astronomical seasons are based on the position of earth in relation to the sun,” it said.
The astronomical winter starts with the winter solstice, which is Dec. 21 this year. The winter solstice happens in December in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s “the day with the fewest hours of sunlight throughout the year, making it the ‘shortest day’ of the year,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac said, noting it happens “when a hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as possible.”
In some cultures, it carries deep meaning. It signals “the changing of the seasons” and “some ancient peoples even marked the solstice using huge stone structures, like Newgrange in Ireland,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac said. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice happens in June.
