A Repeat of Last Winter--Really?

That's what they--the folks at Farmers' Almanac--are saying. As if things haven't been bad enough since Ol' Man Winter's extended stay last winter, I've learned that it looks like we're in for a repeat of those miserable conditions again this year.

The outlook calls for "unseasonably cold conditions over the Atlantic Seaboard, eastern portions of the Great Lakes, and the lower peninsula of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, most of the Tennessee and Mississippi Valley, as well as much of the Gulf Coast. New Englanders will once again experience a very frigid winter.

"Much of the central United States will see near-normal winter temperatures. This includes the western and central Great Lakes, the upper peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and most of the Great Plains. In these areas, Mother Nature will mix intervals of unseasonably mild temperatures with occasional shots of bitter cold; average it out, and it comes out--average.

"Texas and the other South Central States will see a cool to cold winter but nothing too extreme.

"Farther west, over the Rockies, the Colorado Plateau, Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest States, milder-than-normal temperatures are expected.

"Precipitation-wise, if you like snow, then you should head out to the northern and central Great Plains (most of the North Central States), the Great Lakes, New England, and parts of the Ohio Valley where snowier-than-normal conditions are forecast.

"Over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, the winter will be stormy, with a good amount of snow. We are 'red-flagging' the second week of January and the second week of February for possible heavy winter weather, with a long, drawn-out spell of stormy weather extending through much of the first half of March... .

"An active storm track will bring above-normal precipitation to the Southeast States, as well as the Mississippi Valley, Southern Great Plains, the Gulf Coast, and along the Atlantic Seaboard.

"Another area of above-normal precipitation (thanks to incoming storms from the Pacific) will cover much of the Pacific Northwest.

"Near-to-below normal winter precipitation will cover the rest of the country, which includes much of the drought-stricken areas in the Southwest."

I only can speak for myself, but this report is not what I wanted to hear. Reckon all I can do now is to hope the folks at Farmers' Almanac aren't any more reliable than the local TV weather forecasters.