Farmers' Almanac predicting cold, snowy winter for prairies

With the last days of summer almost in the rearview mirror, some people are looking to the snowy season ahead. A season theFarmers' Almanac is predicting will be very cold and snowy for the prairies.

"We talk about the middle part of February being perhaps the coldest part of the winter months," Peter Geiger,editor of the Almanac, said.

"In March, we talk about a storm as late as March 24 to the 27."

Additionally, the Almanac is calling for December snow storms between the 8 to 11 and then again on the 24 to 27, and a big storm from the 8 to 11 of January.

The Almanac uses a top secret, over 200-year-old mathematical formula to predict the long-term weather. The currentweather forecaster at the Almanac has a pseudonym, Caleb Weatherbee,and has been doing it for over 25 years. He makes the predictions two years in advance.

"He applies it to sun spot activity, planet positions and the effect that the moon has on the earth and those are the things that go in to making the predictions," Geiger said.

As for the rest of the fall, Geiger said September is looking good.

"It actually looks like a pretty darn good month," he said.

"We talk about pleasant conditions, a little bit of showers but nothing dramatic."

With files from Saskatchewan Weekend