The Old Farmer’s Almanac is offering two somewhat conflicting signals for the Washington, D.C. region in its newly released winter outlook for 2026-2027, though the area is firmly within the “cold, snowy” portion of the map.
The Almanac’s national forecast map appears to place Washington, D.C., Montgomery County and much of Maryland and Northern Virginia in a “cold, snowy” zone. That area extends north into Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg and Scranton, and south through parts of Virginia and western North Carolina.
However, the Almanac’s more detailed forecast for the Atlantic Corridor, which includes the Washington region, calls for a milder winter overall. It predicts above-normal temperatures, below-normal precipitation and slightly below-normal snowfall.
According to the regional forecast, the coldest periods are expected in early to mid-December, early to mid-January, and early and late February. The best opportunities for snow are predicted for late November, early and mid-January, early and late February, and late March.
The difference appears to come from the national map presenting a broad overview, while the Atlantic Corridor forecast offers a more detailed regional breakdown. In other words, the Washington area could experience several cold and snowy stretches without the winter as a whole being colder or snowier than normal.
The Almanac’s long-range forecasts are intended to identify general seasonal trends and should not be interpreted as specific predictions for individual storms or snowfall totals.
The Farmers’ Almanac (different from The Old Farmer’s Almanac) released its outlook for the 2026-2027 winter season earlier this summer, placing much of the Mid-Atlantic in a region expected to experience “coastal storms, snow, sleet, and mix.”
