It looks like we won’t get the lovely, mild weather we got last winter.

Most of the talk about fall and winter in the U.S. is about coronavirus and the flu. But something else we’ll all have to deal with that could exacerbate the health crisis is winter weather. The Farmers' Almanac is out with its predictions for the winter of 2020-2021, and the news doesn’t look good for Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. The general consensus is that the mid-Atlantic will have a snowy, cold winter. 

The predictors at the Almanac are calling this upcoming season the “Winter of the Great Divide." That’s because weather conditions will be polar opposites in the west and the east. The western states are predicted to continue to have dry, drought-like conditions throughout the winter while the northeast is pummeled with snow. The southeast will also experience wet and chilly weather, and the Texarkana region will get some cooler than average weather.

Courtesy Farmers' Almanac

Last year, the DMV had a few, light snowstorms and warmer-than-average temperatures throughout the season. That won’t be the case this winter, says the editor of the Almanac.

“If you didn’t like last winter’s somewhat-boring weather in the Northeast,” says managing editor Sandi Duncan, “you may be happy to hear what we are predicting for 2021.”

Most people won’t be happy to hear that the cold and snow are on the way, including the prediction of a big blizzard in February that could yield one to two feet of snow. That means everyone in the mid-Atlantic should make sure their winter coats fit, check their snow blowers, and stock up on ice melt.

More details about the 2020-2021 winter season can be found in the latest edition of the Farmers' Almanac, available now in stores and online.