We love winter in Tennessee. That’s why we have 5 extras . But with a few mild winters behind us, we’re wondering how long our luck will hold up. Enter the Old Farmer’s Almanac .
The Old Farmer’s Almanac — published continuously since 1792 — is predicting a shift to bitter cold this winter season, with Chattanooga set for a cold + snowy wintertide. Now we’re curious… How accurate is the oldest published periodical for Chattanooga snowfall?
A breakdown of this year’s upcoming winter conditions. | Photo from The Old Farmer’s Almanac
In order to make its yearly predictions , the Old Farmer’s Almanac looks at solar science — the study of sunspots + other activity — climatology, and meteorology. The publication claims to have an 80% accuracy rate on its predictions.
Take a look at the last 3 winters and decide for yourself if the Almanac holds water (or other precipitation).
2018-2019
- Almanac prediction — warm + wet
- First snow — Jan. 29
- Last snow — Jan. 29
- Number of days below freezing — 39 days
- Total precipitation — 27” (0.1” of snowfall)
2019-2020
- Almanac prediction — mild, with soakers
- First snow — Dec. 10
- Last snow — Feb., 8
- Number of days below freezing — 31 days
- Total precipitation — 22” (3” of snowfall)
2020-2021
- Almanac prediction — not so cold, not too wet
- First snow — N/A
- Last snow — N/A
- Number of days below freezing — 41 days
- Total precipitation — 13” (0” of snowfall)
(Pssst… if you remember snow dustings last year, you’re not wrong. We got this from the National Weather Service
, which only keeps data on snowfall that sticks around >0 inches.)
Poll