“Catastrophic” Storm Ravages East Coast, Farmers’ Almanac Not Surprised

LEWISTON, Maine - Feb. 13, 2014 - PRLog -- As a nasty storm, dubbed “Pax” by the Weather Channel, tears its way up the East Coast of the United States, the Farmers’ Almanac reminds weather watchers that it predicted the storm nearly two years ago.

As of Wednesday morning, heavy snow, punishing wind, and thick ice crippled the Southeastern U.S. In some areas, as much as a half an inch of ice encased the region, stranding commuters and leaving more than 93,000 customers from Alabama to North Carolina without power.

The storm will move into the Mid-Atlantic region by Wednesday afternoon before heading to New England, where it is expected to dump up to 18 inches in parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

In an early Wednesday memo, the National Weather Service called the storm "an event of historical proportions," noting that the ice, especially, would be "catastrophic ... crippling ... paralyzing ... choose your adjective."

To the 197-year old Farmers’ Almanac, though, this week’s weather comes as no surprise. In its 2014 edition, which hit newsstands last August, but was compiled during the spring of 2012, the Almanac warned that a major storm would move through the Appalachian Mountain region, bringing a wintry mix and potential flooding. On the outskirts of the storm, the publication predicted cold and heavy precipitation.

“Unlike local meteorologists, who are able to change their predictions minute-by-minute, we are willing to go out on a limb and provide long-range forecasts that are set in stone from the day we publish,” said Farmers’ Almanac editor, Peter Geiger, Philom.

“People use our forecasts in ways that aren’t possible with a daily, or even 10-day, forecast. We get calls from municipalities trying to decide how much salt to buy for the roads, and from brides-to-be hoping to pick a sunny date for their big day.”

This week’s storm is just the latest development in what has proven to be one of the coldest winters in recent memory for the eastern half of the United States. The National Weather Service reports that this winter has been the coldest of the 21st Century in many regions, and the coldest in more than 30 years for some.

Those reports are consistent with the Farmers’ Almanac’s forecast, which warned in August that “the ‘days of shivery’ are back.” In its seasonal outlook for the coming winter, the 2014 Almanac predicted “a winter that will experience below average temperatures for about two-thirds of the nation. A large area of below-normal temperatures will predominate from roughly east of the Continental Divide to the Appalachians, north and east through New England.”

The Farmers’ Almanac, which has been predicting the weather since 1818, bases its long-range weather forecasts on a mathematical and astronomical formula that takes things like sunspot activity, tidal action of the moon, the position of the planets and a variety of other factors into consideration. It is one of the only sources brave enough to publish a long-range outlook more than a year in advance. Independent readers have determined that the Farmers’ Almanac forecast is accurate 80 to 85 percent of the time.

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About the Farmers' Almanac:

The Farmers' Almanac, which features an orange and green cover, has been published every year since 1818. Available at grocery and bookstores nationwide, it contains useful and interesting articles, as well as long-range weather predictions, gardening advice, recipes and more. Editors Peter Geiger and Sandi Duncan are available for lively and informative interviews, either by phone or in person. Both love to talk about the weather, share useful Almanac trivia and advice, and offer tips on how to "get back to the simple life." Visit on the Web at http://www.farmersalmanac.com.