The Farmers' Almanac has released its first snowfall forecast for the 2026-27 winter season, offering an early look at when Ohioans could see their first measurable snow.
Here's when the more than 200-year-old publication predicts Ohio may need to break out the snow shovels.
Winter 2026-2027 first snowfall in Ohio
The timing of the season's first snowfall varies across the country based on factors such as latitude and elevation.
According to the almanac, the upper Midwest and northern Plains usually sees their first measurable snowfalls in October or early November.
In the Ohio Valley, the first measurable snow is expected closer to December.
In 2025, parts of Cincinnati saw up to 2.6 inches by Nov. 10, according to the National Weather Service of Wilmington.
How does the Farmer's Almanac predict the weather?
According to its website, the
almanac uses a mix of sunspot cycles, lunar position, tidal pull, and historical pattern weighting to make its long-range forecast.
In order for snowfall to "count," it must leave at least 0.1 inch of snow behind as it accumulates. The prediction map is not referring to cases where some flakes fall and melt upon touching the ground.
How accurate is the Old Farmer's Almanac?
The almanac has been making forecasts since 1818. It reports 80% to 85% accuracy on regional outlooks.
Others equate predictions made by almanacs to the accuracy of a flip of a coin: A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study done in 2010 found that 51.9% of the monthly precipitation forecasts and 50.7% of the monthly temperature forecasts were accurate.
Meteorologists often caution that forecasts made several months in advance carry significant uncertainty, especially at the local level.
The USATODAY Network contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When will Ohio get snow? See Farmers' Almanac first snowfall map
