Old Farmer's Almanac winter weather forecast for Upstate, SC: Will the state see snow?

There are many South Carolinians who are ready for a change in season, especially with the 90 degree temps experienced this summer.

Some residents are already saying they are looking forward to the cold, and hopefully, some snow.

Luckily, the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting winter this year to be "cooler than normal," giving everyone a much needed break from the heat. While predictions from the weather publication have come in handy for farmers in the past, the Almanac itself admits it missed the mark on 2023's weather predictions.

According to the Almanac, "Like all forecasters, we have not yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of the universe to predict the weather with total accuracy, though our results are often very close to our traditional claim of percent."

Here's what the Almanac is predicting for weather in S.C. this year.

When is the first day of winter?

This year, the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST, according to the almanac. The first day of winter is marked by the winter solstice, which is the day of the year with the fewest hours of sunlight. Summer lovers shouldn't get themselves too bummed out by the change ― it may be the start of winter, but brighter days are ahead. After the winter solstice, the days will continue to grow longer until the summer solstice, which is the first day of summer and longest day of the year.

When does winter end?

Meteorological winter will run from Dec. 1 through the end of February. Astronomical winter will end on Thursday, March 20, 2025 ― the day of the spring equinox.

Old Farmer's Almanac SC winter weather forecast

Winter in S.C., North Carolina, and Georgia (Region 4 of the Almanac) is predicted to be cooler than normal in the east and warmer than normal in the west. The coldest periods are anticipated to be in late November, late January, and late February. Those who are looking forward to snow in the South may get their chance this year, with the likelihood for precipitation and snowfall above normal, especially in late January and early and late February.

How does the Old Farmer's Almanac make weather predictions?

The Almanac ― founded in 1792 ― has made weather predictions since the time of George Washington's presidency. During his presidential reign, Washington spent much time farming in Mount Vernon, where he planted everything from barley, clover, and corn to oats, peas, and potatoes. The weather forecast methodology the Almanac uses was devised by its founder Robert B. Thomas, who used sunspots (magnetic storms on the sun's surface) to predict the Earth's weather.

The Almanac has been revised over the years through the utilization of modern science and technology, and of course, Thomas' formula. It also uses data from the National Center for Environmental Information ― which calculates temperatures for the U.S. based on updated 30-year averages ― and factors climate change into its long-range weather forecasting.

Here are the three disciplines used to make long-range predictions:

∎ Solar Science: the study of sunspots and other solar activity.

∎ Climatology: the study of prevailing weather patterns.

∎ Meteorology: the study of the atmosphere.

Why does the Almanac predict long-range weather?

The Almanac was originally used as a calendar for farmers and gardeners to plan for the next year. Today, it is used by many different types of people, like economists, truckers, shippers, and skywatchers.

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina winter weather forecast from Old Farmer's Almanac