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New Yorkers, you might want to dig out your puffer coat before your Halloween costume. The Farmers’ Almanac just dropped its 2025–2026 winter outlook, and it’s promising a frosty, snowy season that could crash the party as early as October. Yes, October.
While the winter season doesn’t officially begin until December 21, the Almanac predicts the Northeast could see its first flurries well before the holidays. The theme for this year’s forecast? “Chill, snow, repeat.” Expect a cocktail of rain, snow, and frigid air that the Almanac politely calls “a wild ride,” with the coldest blasts set to hit in mid-January and again in mid-February.
According to the outlook map, the Northeast is firmly in the “very cold and snow-filled” zone—prime conditions for snow lovers and maybe an excuse for the rest of us to hibernate. But this isn’t just guesswork. The Almanac says it uses a 200-year-old formula factoring in solar activity, lunar cycles and environmental trends, along with time-honored natural signs. Early goose departures, oversized spider webs, unusually abundant acorns and even heavy August fogs are all considered omens of a rough winter ahead.
For New York, that means the possibility of snow before Halloween, plenty of rain-and-snow mashups through the season and the real potential for a few “decent” Atlantic Coast snowstorms. It’s not all bad news—skiers and snowboarders could have an early start to their season and the city’s holiday lights always look better with a fresh dusting of white. But anyone who’s gotten stuck in a Midtown slush pond knows this kind of winter also brings chaos.
The Northeast won’t be the only region bundling up. The Northern Plains and much of New England are expected to face the harshest freezes, while the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley are in for what the Almanac calls a “classic winter wonderland.” Even the Southeast could see the occasional snow day and the Pacific Northwest mountains may enjoy some serious powder.
For now, the best you can do is prepare, whether that means stocking up on rock salt, perfecting your hot chocolate game or checking flight prices to Miami. Because according to the Farmers’ Almanac, winter is not planning to make a fashionably late entrance this year.