The Old Farmer's Almanac has issued its 2026 winter weather predictions for the U.S., including outlooks for North Carolina split into two regions.
The Old Farmer's Almanac
, which has been in circulation since 1792, makes seasonal weather predictions over a period of time, formulating a seasonal outlook rather than specific daily forecasts. These long-range outlooks are intended for use by farmers, gardeners, homeowners, travelers and more.The Citizen Times previously covered the almanac's predictions for the 2026 fall season. This winter, the almanac predicts colder-than-normal temperatures from central New England south through the Appalachians and into Ohio Valley, with Hawaii also expected to be cooler than normal. Otherwise, temperatures are
expected to be near normal or warmer than normal across much of the nation.
The almanac also predicts a snowier-than-normal winter from central New England through the Appalachians, in the Intermountain region and Pacific Northwest, and in Alaska.
Here's what the almanac shows in store for North Carolina, plus what else to know this season.
Old Farmer's Almanac winter 2026 predictions for North Carolina
The almanac makes predictions over 18 regions of the U.S. In the almanac predictions, the state is split into two regions: Region 4, Southeast, contains most of the state, while Region 3, Appalachians, contains most of the Western N.C. region. Temperature predictions for N.C.'s two regions included:
- Appalachian region: Below normal temperatures with coldest periods in mid-January and mid- to late February
- Southeast region: Above normal temperatures with coldest periods in mid-November, early and mid-December, early January and late February
Will it be a snowy winter in North Carolina?
Precipitation and snow predictions in N.C.'s two regions included:
- Appalachian region: Below normal precipitation but above normal snowfall, especially in the north, with snowiest periods in mid-January and early and late February
- Southeast region: Above normal precipitation expected in the north, below normal in the south, with normal levels of snowfall and snowiest periods in the north falling in early January and late February
When is the first day of winter 2026?
The winter solstice, which marks the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs Monday, Dec. 21, at 3:50 p.m.
How does the Old Farmer's Almanac make predictions?
According to its website, the Old Farmer's Almanac makes its predictions by comparing solar activity with weather patterns. The almanac says it uses multiple academic disciplines for its predictions, including solar science, climatology and meteorology.
How accurate are the Old Farmer's Almanac's predictions?
The Old Farmer's Almanac claims a rough 80% accuracy rate on its predictions. In a report analyzing the success of its predictions for winter 2024-25, the almanac placed its accuracy rate for temperatures at 88.9% and its accuracy rate for precipitation at 83.3%.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Old Farmer's Almanac 2026 winter forecast is here. Will NC see snow?
