We still have a few weeks of summer left. There's still plenty of time to go camping, have a backyard BBQ, and go swimming at the pool. No one wants to think about shoveling snow in August, but it is South Dakota and winter will be here before you know it.

The 2017 Old Farmer's Almanac has been released along with the 2017 long range forecast. Here's what's in store for our region:

Winter will be milder and drier than normal, with near- to above-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in early to mid- and mid- to late January and early February. The snowiest periods will be in mid- to late November, mid-January, and early February.

April and May will be warmer and drier than normal.

Summer will be cooler than normal, with the hottest periods in mid- to late June, early July, and early to mid-August. Rainfall will be below normal in the north and above normal in the south.

September and October will be slightly cooler and rainier than normal.

I don't like the sound of "above-normal snowfall." Our area seems pretty calm compared to other parts of the U.S. like the northeast. They should brace for above-normal snowfall and below-normal temps.

My mom swears by the Old Farmer's Almanac. She still uses it to see the long-term forecast and she will only transplant flowers or plant her garden when the Almanac says to. One year, I planted radishes in her garden when the almanac didn't approve and they did not grow. She blamed me for not planting according to the almanac. I blamed it on the seeds being six years old.

Click here to learn how the Almanac makes its predictions.


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