It's Almost The New Year. Here's What The Old Farmer's Almanac Is Predicting For January Weather

So far this winter has been a mixed bag, with some areas experiencing record high temperatures, a polar vortex bringing bitter cold conditions to others, and an atmospheric river and torrential rains causing extreme flooding in other portions of the country. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, January looks to be more of the same, as much of the country will run slightly lower than average temps, but many areas are expected to be double-digits above average. Precipitation will also range from average to below or above normal across the country.

All of this is mostly in line with the Old Farmer's Almanac's Winter Weather Forecast for this year, which predicted the season would be "mostly mild — with pockets of wild!". To that end, OFA expects the coldest portion of winter this year to occur in late January through early February. However, with few exceptions, each region will be only a few degrees on either side of average temperatures for the month of January. The largest deviations will actually be where temperatures run above — rather than below — normal this month.

Alaska will experience the biggest departure from its average, as temperatures are expected to be 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. The High Plains will also be significantly warmer — 6 degrees F above in the northern portion and 4 degrees F higher in the south. The Pacific Southwest, Intermountain Region, and Upper Midwest will run 2 to 4 degrees F warmer than normal, respectively, while the Pacific Northwest and Heartland will sit only 1 degree F above average. All of those areas will also experience less precipitation than usual, with the exception of Alaska, which will receive slightly more. The Upper Midwest, however, will still see snow — just less accumulation than usual.

The vast majority of the country is predicted by the OFM to run slightly cooler and drier than average. However, those temperatures won't diverge much from the norms for each region. The Northeast, Atlantic Corridor, Appalachians, Southeast, Florida, Lower Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Deep South, will all see temperatures ranging from 1 to 3 degrees F below normal. Anywhere from 1 to 3 inches less precipitation is predicted for those regions.

Despite the prediction for warmer, drier conditions, the Northeast, Atlantic Corridor, and Appalachians will be snowy early in month, although temps in those areas will be cooler later in January. The Ohio Valley, Southeast, and Florida will all have their coldest temperatures at beginning and end of the month, with milder weather sandwiched between. The Lower Lakes, while overall drier than usually, will still be snowy most of the month, with lake effect snow playing a role in some areas. The Deep South bucks the trend a bit: Its coldest temperatures will kick in at the onset of January, with milder temperatures expected by month's end.

Texas and Oklahoma — along with the Desert Southwest and Hawaii — have a bit of a dichotomy in the forecast. The Texas/Oklahoma region will experience temperature 1 degree below average, but precipitation will vary from 1 inch below average in the north to 1 inch above in the southern portion. In the Desert Southwest, it is the temperature which varies. The eastern portion of the region will run slightly cooler, while the western part will be a bit above. The entire region will be slightly drier than usual. In Hawaii, temperatures will be average. However, rainfall will be 5 inches below in the east and 4 inches above in the central and western portions of the island chain.