By Joe Edwards
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Historic publication The Old Farmer’s Almanac has issued a long-range forecast for spring 2026, offering some insight into what conditions each region across the country can expect.
"We are forecasting a warmer than normal spring for most of the U.S., however, parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado are expected to see temperatures closer to or below seasonal averages," Sarah Perreault, managing editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac, told Newsweek. "Apart from Colorado, those areas had below to near-normal spring temperatures in 2025.”
The Context
Published since 1792, The Old Farmer's Almanac claims to be the oldest continuously published periodical in the United States.
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The publication explains that its forecasts are based on solar science, climatology, and meteorology.
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What To Know
The almanac’s spring outlook calls for warmer-than-normal temperatures across much of the country, with exceptions in parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and in areas of Montana and Colorado, where temperatures are forecast to be near or below seasonal averages.
Additionally, much of the country is expected to be drier than normal, with wetter conditions expected in Upper Alaska, Texas–Oklahoma, the northern Appalachians, the High Plains, the Upper Midwest, and the Intermountain region.
Northeast: Warmer than average overall, with May about 3 degrees above normal, and below-average precipitation in April and May, with no significant snowfall expected.
Atlantic Corridor: Warmer than usual from Boston to Richmond; rainfall below normal in April and near normal in May, with the northern part about 3 degrees above average in May.
Appalachians: Slightly warmer than usual; precipitation below normal in the north and above normal in the south.
Southeast: Warmer than usual; April drier than normal and May slightly wetter than normal.
Florida: Warmer than normal in April and near average in May; rainfall below average in April and near normal in May.
Lower Lakes: Warmer than normal overall; precipitation below normal in the east and above normal in the west.
Ohio Valley: Above-average temperatures; precipitation above normal in the east but below normal in the west.
Deep South: Warmer than normal overall, with April about 4 degrees above average and May about 1 degree below average; precipitation above normal in the north and below normal in the south.
Upper Midwest: East cooler and drier than normal; west warmer than normal with above-normal precipitation.
Heartland: Warm spring with April about 5 degrees above average; rainfall below normal in the north and above normal in the south.
Texas–Oklahoma: April about 5 degrees above average; May cooling to about 2 degrees below average in the north and 1 degree above average in the south; rainfall above normal, with a note to watch for a tropical storm in late May.
High Plains: Warmer than normal, especially in April at about 5 degrees above average; below-normal rainfall in the east and above normal in the west, with periods of extreme heat anticipated through summer.
Intermountain: Cooler and wetter than normal in the north; warmer and drier than normal in the south.
Desert Southwest: April warmer than usual and May near average; rainfall above normal in the east and below normal in the west.
Pacific Northwest: April near average; May cooler than normal in the north and warmer than normal in the south; overall drier than usual.
Pacific Southwest: Above-normal temperatures in April and May; below-normal rainfall.
Alaska: Warmer-than-normal with above-normal precipitation in the north and below-normal precipitation in the south.
Hawaii: Warmer than usual; below-normal rainfall in the east and above-normal rainfall in central and western areas.
What People Are Saying
The Old Farmer's Almanac Managing Editor Sarah Perreault previously told Newsweek: "The Old Farmer's Almanac is the original guide to living well and has always been known for its wit, wisdom, and solid advice that's relevant to real life. We celebrate core values and entertain the whole family with a healthy degree of humor and a sense of optimism. Every fall The Old Farmer's Almanac pops up at local stores, and although it is brand new each year, it isn't changing."
What Happens Next
The Almanac framed the outlook as guidance for planning rather than day-to-day forecasting, encouraging readers to use regional trends to inform preparations while monitoring local short-term forecasts as spring approaches.
Update 01/28/26, 12:05 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Sarah Perreault.
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