What winter in Sask. and rest of prairies could look like this year
The start of September marked meteorological fall and Sept. 22 at 6:43 a.m. will mark the 2024 fall equinox. That has winter on the minds of many even though hot weather is still in the forecast.
With close to an 80 per cent accuracy rating, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is something many people turn to for a long-range forecast to get an idea of what winter might bring.
Editor Carol Connare said to land on their weather predictions, they rely on something she called sun science.
“Our founder Robert B Thomas was an astronomer and for many years keeping track of magnetic storms on the sun, they’re 11-year cycles and we just entered cycle 26,” she said.
Connare says that means their weather predictions are based on data over all of those cycles.
“And we see what is similar, maybe a year eight with a certain week. What are the patterns and so that’s what we do, we crunch those numbers and then we make our predictions based on that.”
The 2025 edition of the book is predicting that winter for many in Saskatchewan will be one of the snowiest and coldest on average.
“Also, into the spring it’s like a whole lot of precipitation going on through the spring and into the summer [of 2025] but definitely this winter, it’s [Saskatchewan] one of the few places in North America where we’re calling for consistent snow cover,” Connare said.
She also said they are predicting spring to be cooler and wetter than normal for Saskatchewan.
Aside from weather predictions, Connare says the Old Farmer’s Almanac also contains information on things such as gardening by the moon, folklore on tides and how to do a backyard flock.
“This year we have stories on a bunch of cows that have made great comebacks, species in Canada including one from Saskatchewan and then we have the Canadian origins on baseball as well as lots of planting and sky watching tips and techniques,” Connare said.
For now, Regina and other parts of Saskatchewan are expecting daytime temperatures to be in the 30s over the weekend, according to some weather models.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bloc won't hold Liberals 'hostage' over seniors' benefits: cabinet minister
Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says the Liberals will not be 'held hostage' by the Bloc Quebecois' demand to expand Old Age Security to more seniors.
Police identify Toronto victim of alleged serial killer
Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.
Missing father, kids spotted in New Zealand wilderness 3 years after disappearance: police
A New Zealand man who disappeared with his three children in 2021 was spotted on a farm along the country's northwest coast, police say.
No jail time for man who fatally stabbed senior in Vancouver
A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.
B.C. billionaire posts third large sign criticizing NDP ahead of the election
British Columbia billionaire Chip Wilson has put up yet another billboard message to voters, his third post outside his multimillion-dollar mansion in NDP Leader David Eby's own riding.
EXCLUSIVE: 'We were privileged to be friends with our sister': Family mourns murdered N.S. woman
More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.
Great white shark washes up on B.C. shore
In a rare occurrence, a bona fide great white shark washed up on a B.C. beach Thursday.
Job growth numbers 'good news' in Canada but there are concerns, according to an economist
An economist says the latest job growth numbers in Canada are 'good news,' but he has concerns following Statistic Canada's report.
Hot-air balloon strikes and collapses radio tower in Albuquerque during festival
A hot-air balloon struck and collapsed a radio tower Friday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the city's famous festival -- the second time in 20 years that a balloon has come into contact with the tower.