This Winter: Warm and Cold

It looks like it is going to be a bit difficult to plan ahead for the coming winter this year.  Why?  The two trusted resources for weather prediction, the Farmer's Almanac and the National Weather Service, disagree.  The Almanac's 2009 edition goes on sale this week, and it predicts that two thirds of the country can expect a below average, cold and snowy winter.  Looking ahead, the summer will bring higher than average temperatures. Based on trends, the NWS predicts a warmer than average winter across the board, even in Alaska.  No mention of what summer will bring though.  The Farmer's Almanac has proven to be about 85% accurate in its predictions, and the NWS...?  So, there's not much to work from.  Be prepared for the worst, and be pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be a warm winter, I guess.