A white Christmas in Washington? What the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts for your city
Dreaming of a white Christmas in Washington this year? The Old Farmer’s Almanac released a tool that predicts an area’s chances of getting snow.
The more than 200-year-old publication is using its long-range weather forecasts to predict which areas of the U.S. will see snow on Dec. 25 this year.
What’s the outlook for Washington? It depends on where you live.
The almanac predicted the Pacific Northwest has “sunny, clear skies on the menu for Christmas Day.” But it’s a large region, so diving deeper into the forecast will give a clearer picture of what’s in store.
Seattle, known for its wet weather, actually won’t see any precipitation on Dec. 25, the almanac predicts. The same is true for most of the cities on the west side of the Cascades, including Bellingham, Tacoma, Vancouver and Olympia, according to the almanac’s tool.
But across the mountains, snow is more likely to fall on Christmas Day, the almanac predicts. Central Washington, including cities like Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Cle Elum, will likely get a white Christmas.
Eastern Washington will also likely get snow on Dec. 25, including the Tri-Cities, Spokane, Pullman, Walla Walla and Chewelah, so skiers and snowboarders will have fresh snow to shred on Christmas, the almanac predicts.
Earlier this year, the almanac released its winter outlook, which predicted above-average snowfall for the heartland and cold temperatures in the upper Midwest.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is North America’s “oldest continuously published periodical,” according to its website.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac said it makes its forecast using a “secret formula” created in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas, the Almanac’s founder. It includes solar science (the study of sunspots), climatology and meteorology, the almanac said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly linked to the Farmer’s Almanac, which is not affiliated with the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 3:39 PM with the headline "A white Christmas in Washington? What the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts for your city."