Get the Snow Shovel Ready, Old Farmer’s Almanac Says Indiana Will be a ‘Winter Wonderland’ This Winter
If the sight of pumpkin spice everything didn't tip you off, summer is on its way out and the fall season is ready to slide in with cooler temperatures. For the most part, fall is generally an uneventful season for weather in Indiana. While we'll still get some rain here and there, and maybe the occasional thunderstorm, we're on the tail end of severe weather season making the threat of something nasty like a tornado relatively low. Which is good, because if the 2023-2024 Winter Forecast from the Old Farmer's Almanac plays out like they think it might, we're going to need time to prepare for what Old Man Winter has in store for us.
Old Farmer's Almanac Predicts "Cold and Snowy" Winter for Indiana
If you're someone, like my wife, who absolutely, positively loathes cold weather with every fiber of their being, and wears a sweatshirt when the temperature is below 75, this forecast is going to send an early shiver down your spine. On the flip side, if you're the type who can't stand the heat and humidity of an Indiana summer, you're going to be thrilled with what they have to say.
According to forecasters, our snow shovels are going to get more use than normal once the cold winter air blows in. Based on their models Indiana, along with a majority of the country will be dealing with "Cold and Snowy" conditions throughout the winter with the first snows expected to start falling as early as November and continue until the start of spring.
Temperature-wise, they expect us to be dealing with "colder-than-normal" temperatures throughout the season.
Blame El Niño
The Old Farmer's Almanac attributes their forecast to an El Nino that has already emerged and is expected to strengthen as winter gets closer. If the term, El Niño rings a bell, it's because it's happened before. If you're not quite sure what it means or why it can make such an impact on our weather, I'll let The Weather Channel's Ali Van Fleet explain. Trust me. She does a way better job with it than I could.
Old Farmer's Almanac vs. The Farmer's Almanac
Back in August, The Farmer's Almanac, which is a separate publication not affiliated with the Old Farmer's Almanac, issued its 2023-2024 Winter Outlook, and it sees things playing out in a similar fashion saying our region could see "below-average temperatures and lots of snowstorms, sleet, ice, rain."
READ MORE: Love Cold Weather? Then You'll Love the Winter Forecast from the Farmer's Almanac for Indiana
I think it's important to keep in mind that this is simply a prediction and no amount of fancy technology, atmospheric tracking, or whatever they use to create this forecast is 100% accurate. As we know all too well, weather is wildly unpredictable and can change in an instant. This is all merely their best guess on what may happen. Granted, they are experts and have been doing this for decades, but it's entirely possible what they think may happen will never come to fruition. However, I would recommend being prepared in the event it does play out like they think it may just to be safe.
You can check out the rest of their forecast on the Old Farmer's Almanac website.
[Source: Old Farmer's Almanac]