NEW YORK (PIX11) – The Old Farmer’s Almanac has teased the outlook for this upcoming winter and it looks like New York may have another one of those winters where the snow shovels will be handy.

The almanac, according to their website, has been issuing its annual outlook for 72 years and is “North America’s oldest continuously published periodical.”

For our area, the almanac states that:

“Winter will be colder and slightly wetter than normal, with above-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in late December and early and mid-January. The snowiest periods will be in mid- and late December, mid-January, and early to mid-February.”

The website also teases about next summer. They believe that:

“Summer will be hotter and drier than normal, despite a tropical storm threat in early to mid-August. The hottest periods will occur in early June, mid- to late July, and early to mid-August.”

Keep in mind, when they are “colder” and “hotter” than average, they really are only saying by as much as +/-4 degrees. New Yorkers may not need to buy clothes that would be more appropriate for the North Pole.

The authors of the periodical state that their long term forecasts are 80% accurate, but there are studies arguing that claim. Either way, they themselves state that “neither we nor any other forecasters have as yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of the universe to predict the weather with total accuracy.”

The almanac usually releases their outlook for the upcoming winter in September. This year the general release of the 2015 edition will be available starting on August 26.