The Old Farmer’s Almanac Just Dropped Its Fall Forecast For ND

The Old Farmer's Almanac's Fall Forecast

The El Niño weather pattern we've been hearing so much about has taken hold. That typically brings a warm fall and winter for North Dakota, but what does the Old Farmer's Almanac have to say about that?

The Secret Sauce Formula

First off, what is the Old Farmer's Almanac, and how do they come up with their forecasts every year? According to Wikipedia, the Old Farmer's Almanac has been around since 1792. Does that sound like a long time to you? It's actually the oldest continuously published periodical in North America. Its long-range forecasts are predictions derived from a secret, centuries-old formula grounded in solar science, climatology, and meteorology.

North Dakota's Fall Forecast

As you can see by the map below, it appears the typical El Niño weather pattern will hold with the Old Farmer's Almanac's Fall forecast. You can expect warm and dry conditions over most of North Dakota this autumn. The only exception looks to be the Red River Valley portion of the state in extreme eastern North Dakota, where it's expected to be cool and dry.

Not the best news, as we are already getting extremely dry in central and western North Dakota, which could mean wildfire concerns this fall.

I'm pretty sure our farmers, ranchers, and my lawn, for that matter, could sure use a shot of rain before we head into this next heatwave of 90s and 100s, which is expected to start Friday and last for much of next week. Unfortunately, we have very little chance of rain over the next week, according to the National Weather Service. The only exception would be Friday afternoon and evening, when we could get under a strong thunderstorm.

I'm excited for a warm fall; I'm just hoping for enough moisture to keep drought conditions from happening.