Old Farmer's Almanac releases Pacific Northwest's 2024-2025 winter weather extended forecast

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Although it's still summer, winter weather is approaching sooner than we may want to consider.

Calling it the "Great Winter Weather Reveal," the Old Farmer's Almanac is sharing its annual predictions for what Mother Nature has in store for the Pacific Northwest and the rest of the U.S. for the 2024-2025 winter season.

Each section for its winter extended forecast reports on how cold winter is expected in that region and whether there will be snow, but the key to this extended winter outlook is one thing: How much La Niña could play a role.

Oregon and Washington are divided into two regions for the Old Farmer's Almanac: The Pacific Northwest, which covers the western portion of the states up to the Cascades, and then the Intermountain area, which covers central and eastern Oregon and Washington through all of Idaho into some of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, most of Utah and even some of northern Arizona.

For the Intermountain West, Old Farmer's Almanac forecasts a "mild, snowy" winter, adding that "precipitation and snowfall will be average or above average throughout the Intermountain Region. The snowiest periods will fall in mid-November, early and late January, and mid-March."

However, residents in these areas won't have to brace too much for cold temps, since Old Farmer's Almanac predicts above-normal temperatures. "The coldest periods are in late November and late January," according to the forecast.

For the Pacific Northwest, which spans from the Canadian border to northern California, it depends on where you live, according to the Old Farmers' Almanac.

"Precipitation and snowfall will be above average in the north and below average in the south," the forecast said. "The snowiest periods will be in late December, early January, and early February."

As for how cold it could be, again, it all depends on where you live in the region.

"Winter temperatures will be colder than normal in the north and warmer in the south," the forecast says. "The coldest periods will fall in early and late January and early March."

So how accurate is this extended winter forecast?

KOIN 6 Meteorologist Kelley Bayern says the extended winter forecast from the Old Farmers' Almanac "seems on par" with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's climate prediction center outlook for the winter, which is calling for La Niña conditions.

"These predictions revolve around sea surface temperature observations, which tend to correlate with large-scale winter patterns across the globe," Bayern said. "In La Niña winters, our weather in the Pacific Northwest tends to turn more wet and cool, with snowy conditions in the Cascades."

The "cold, snowy" part of Old Farmers' Almanac's map extended into Oregon.

"Does this mean snow in Portland this winter? There's a higher chance for it in La Niña winters," Bayern said, before adding, "But only time will tell."

Stay with KOIN 6's Weather Team as we transition into the fall and winter months for your latest forecast.