The over-200-year-old weather publication Farmers’ Almanac has officially released its long-range forecast for winter 2025-2026. The periodical anticipates a wet winter with average temperatures for California.
Rain and wind this winter in California
Farmers’ Almanac Editor Sandi Duncan told USA Today that California should still get some good rain before windy conditions at the end of January. This could help prevent conditions that led to last year’s catastrophic L.A.-area wildfires.
“Hopefully, it will be enough moisture in the air in California that we don’t see anything crazy like it was last year,” she said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center has also published a long-range weather forecast. For Southern California, CPC predicts above-normal temperatures from December 2025 through February 2026 and a below-normal precipitation outlook.
In Northern California, precipitation is predicted closer to “equal chances;” that is, an equal probability of above- or below-normal levels.
These winter weather conditions come on the heels of a dry and sunny fall throughout the Pacific Southwest.
“Chill, Snow, Repeat”
Farmers’ Almanac anticipates a pattern of “Chill, Snow, Repeat” throughout the rest of the country. Cold blasts are expected in January and February through the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, and New England.
Residents should prepare for frequent snowstorms and snowy conditions in the Great Lakes, New England, and mountainous regions in the mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest.
A “wetter-than-normal winter” is predicted for the southern part of the country, especially in Texas and neighboring states.
Since 1818, Farmers’ Almanac has published long-range weather predictions, gardening advice, and astronomical information among its wide range of content. As one of the oldest periodicals in North America, the Almanac incorporates astronomical events, solar activity, lunar cycles, and other factors into its weather predictions.
You can read more about Farmers’ Almanac‘s 2025-2026 winter forecast here.