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Page 13 · column 1 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By BILL O’TOOLE
Rappahannock N«w> Contributing Writer
The 1996 Hagers-Town and Country Almanack is just reaching the newsstands. This will be the Almanack’s 199th continuous year of publication.
The Almanack, known for its weather predictions that are made 18 months in advance, also discusses the results of twelve (12) years of collecting woolly bears and how they have done predicting winters. The Almanack publishes the up and down signs of the moon, tells one the best days of each month to plant, wee and harvest crops as well as go fishing to catch that “big one.” Also the Almanack gives many, many hints for the housewife, handyman, farmer and gardener as well as astronomical information. ' • Why was the Winter of 1994-95 so milk, especially following on the heels of one of the most severe winters even recorded?
The answer in two words is — El Nino. This was the second El Nino in three years. Moreover, an El Nino tried to get stared late in 1993, but died out in its early stages. At any rate, this was the sixth El Nino in our 27 years as the Almanack’s prognosticator. They make this job much more difficulty than usual, since they generally begin in August, our forecast is due two months earlier, and they greatly influence weather all over the globe.
In our area, they normally mean a Wafmer and drier winter -r like this past one. Many other classic El Nino influences were also noted, such as the frequent storms that struck the West Coast.
We expect the Winter of 1995-96
92.3%