SAN ANTONIO — Winter is coming, and many Texans are worried about facing a repeat of last winter's brutal weather.
KENS5 viewer Sherill Stanush wanted us to Verify that the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a harsh Texas winter.
THE QUESTION
Is the Farmer's Almanac predicting a harsh Texas winter? And could La Niña warm it up?
THE SOURCES
- National Weather Service Meteorologist, Eric Platt
- Farmer's Almanac Editor, Peter Geiger
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
Peter Geiger from the Farmer's Almanac told us, "This year we're saying that it's going to be chilled to the bone, near normal precipitation. We talk about the number of cold snaps. December 12th to the 15th, and the 20th to the 23rd. Christmas should be very cold. I think the coldest snap is going to be February 1st to the third and the 4th to the 7th."
But there could be a little hiccup to that forecast in the form of La Niña. National Weather Service Meteorologist, Eric Platt said, "For this year, for this winter, we're looking at a La Niña pattern setting in, which typically brings drier than normal and warmer than normal weather to south central Texas."
But if a La Niña pattern does set in for the winter, cold air outbreaks are still possible, even if the overall winter ends up on the warmer side.
So to answer Sherill's question...Yes. The Farmer's Almanac is predicting Texas to have a harsh winter.
