Des Moines, IA (northwestiowanow.com) — While Iowans continue to face the lingering summer heat, forecasters are already turning their attention to the colder months ahead. The 2026 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac has been released, and editor Sandi Duncan advises residents to prepare for a potentially harsh winter. She recommends ensuring furnaces are in good working order or a supply of firewood on hand.
Although winter officially begins on December 21, the Farmers’ Almanac predicts that the first significant snowfall could arrive in Iowa as early as early December. According to editor Sandi Duncan, this winter is expected to be “bone-chilling and snow-filled,” with a classic “winter wonderland” settling in by the second week of January.
Spring will be slow to arrive next year, so slow, she’s predicting it’ll be “sloth-like.”
The Lewis, Maine-based almanac boasts a forecast accuracy rate of 80 to 85 percent, which she says is based on a formula that was first created in 1818.
