KANSAS CITY, Mo. — You might want to make sure you have your shovel ready this winter, Kansas City. At least, that’s according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The reference book released its annual winter weather forecast this week, and the Old Farmer’s Almanac has two words for the Kansas City area: “cold” and “snowy.”
Just to the north of the Kansas City area, the almanac predicts cold and dry winter weather.
“A season of shivers brrrr! The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting positively bone-chilling conditions for this coming winter throughout most of the U.S. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but ‘mild’ or ‘average’ temperatures don’t necessarily mean an uneventful winter!” the almanac teases.
If you’re not a fan of snow and looking for perhaps the best winter weather outlook, you’ll need to head west. Many parts of the Southwest and West Coast are expected to be mild and dry, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Otherwise, most of the U.S. is projected to be cold, cold and cold.

Don’t confuse this forecast with the Farmer’s Almanac, a different publication that also releases long-term weather forecasts.
The Farmer’s Almanac sings a similar tune for the Kansas City area this winter: cold and snowy. But it doesn’t predict a full repeat of the frigid chill that hit Kansas, Missouri, Texas and more early this year.
“Numb’s the word, just shoveling along,” the Farmer’s Almanac wrote on its winter outlook.

Now take this information for what it’s worth. The almanacs have often stirred up debate about their accuracy, and some experts say the long-term predictions should be taken with a grain of salt.
So far, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center is showing equal chances for excessively hot or cold temperatures and excessively wet or dry precipitation this winter in Kansas City.
The almanacs have no bearing on the FOX4 Weather Team’s forecasting, deemed the most accurate in the Kansas City area. Like always, our meteorologists will dive into their winter forecasts this November.