Founded in 1792, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has published astronomical calendars, weather predictions, and more. Now on its 235th year, The Old Farmer’s Almanac provides the necessary information for New Englanders to prepare for the seasons and work around the moon, stars, and planets.

As always, the people behind the almanac compare their predictions with the data collected over the year. Last year’s predictions for temperature were correct in 15 out of the 18 regions, a 83.3% accuracy rate. The predictions for precipitation were correct in 17 out of 18 regions, a 94.4% accuracy rate. The total accuracy rate was 88.9%, above the “traditional average rate of 80%.” However, predictions for snowfall in the Atlantic Corridor, Boston through New Jersey, were underestimated.

“We forecast significant warmth mainly in the western US and that’s where most of the biggest temperature anomalies showed up,” the almanac says. “Nearly all winter, the cold was locked across the eastern half of the country, where many parts of the Northeast had their coldest winter since 2014-2015.”

2027 Weather Trends, Predictions, And Astronomical Phenomena

The Old Farmer’s Almanac says that winter will have “above normal” temperatures, but “below normal” snowfall in the Atlantic Corridor.

“The coldest periods will be in early to late mid-December, early to mid-January, early and late February, and late March,” the almanac writes. April and May are expected to be a bit warmer and wetter than normal, with May having three more inches of rain than normal. Summer will be hotter than normal, with early and mid-July slated to be the hottest periods. Precipitation, though, is expected to be “near normal.” September and October “will be warmer and drier than normal.”

November and December of this year are also mapped out in the almanac. It says there are snowstorms to be expected in the north of the Atlantic Corridor around November 28-30, then some flurries from December 1-6.

More flurries may be seen on January 1-5 and it will be “very cold.” Early next year, Newtown may be preparing for a snowstorm January 6-8, with more snow from the 13-19. February will be a mix of rain and snow in the beginning and end of the month. Snow is not expected much throughout March, however, the almanac predicts “heavy snow” on March 30-31.

Heavy rain is predicted May 20-31, and isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout April and May. The beginning of June is predicted to have “rainy periods,” and scattered thunderstorms. June will be cooler, while July will be hot. August will have two periods of scattered thunderstorms from the 1-6 and 15-24. September will be sunny and warm, and October is expected to be similar.

Connecticut’s growing season is expected to be 165 days long, with the last spring frost on April 27 and the first fall frost on October 10.

For those who like to look at the sky, there will be three different penumbral eclipses of the moon on February 20, July 18, and August 17. While only partially visible in North America, the moon will enter the penumbra at 4:10 pm (EST) and exit at 8:15 pm (EST) on February 20. The July 18 eclipse will not be visible from North America, but will be in Asia, Australia, and East Africa. The August 17 eclipse will be visible from North America, and the moon will enter the penumbra at 1:22 am (EDT) and exit at 5:06 am (EDT).

February 6 will be the annular eclipse of the sun, though it will not be visible from North America. It will be visible in Argentina and Chile, and a partial eclipse can be seen in Antarctica, South America, and West and South Africa.

The August 2 total eclipse of the sun will not be visible from most of North America. “A partial eclipse will be briefly visible as the sun is rising from some areas in Northeastern Canada,” the almanac states. It will be visible from parts of Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, and Yemen. A partial eclipse can be seen from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and West and South Asia.

There are no blue moons in 2027. The full moons will be January 22, February 20, March 22, April 20, May 20, June 18, July 18, August 17, September 15, October 15, November 13, and December 13.

Essays To Note

While The Old Farmer’s Almanac is helpful for farmers and those who want to prepare for the weather, it also features essays on various topics filled with humor, endearing stories, and American history.

Some may be aware that the almanac hosts a recipe competition each year. It probably is no surprise to learn that one essay this year, “The Art + Soul of ‘Q,” by Carol Connare, explores the variances of barbecue style food and cooking across the nation.

The essay starts with this: “Barbeque brings people together — one of the few agreed-upon facts when it comes to this cooking tradition. Another immutable truth: people love to jaw over what is and what isn’t authentic barbeque.”

The believed beginnings of barbecue came from the Arawak people, a sub-tribe of the Taino. Columbus’ second voyage is also believed to be the origin of the word itself, as he encountered Taino people cooking meat using a “barbacoa,” or a framework of green sticks. When West Africans were brought to Virginia in 1619, they combined their cooking traditions with those of European and Native American descents and created what “we today call Southern barbeque,” Joseph Haynes explains in his book From Barbycu to Barbeque: The Untold History of an American Tradition.

In Connare’s essay, owner of The Smoke Shop in Boston Andy Husbands was quoted saying, “Meat over fire is burned into our DNA … learning to do it well has become a sport.” Each region and major city of the US has its own spin on barbecue — some use dry rubs, some use sauces, and some prefer different kinds of meat. Now, there is an influx of vegetarian and vegan spins on barbecue, which keeps this long-standing American cuisine going.

“Going Deep in a Corn Maze” by Patricia Sullivan is a short, but informative, essay about the surprisingly recent history of corn mazes. The first corn maze was created in 1993 by Don Frantz, a “country kid who found a career at Disney World and Broadway.” The idea came to him while flying over the Midwest cornfields and he “envisioned a giant maze composed of cornstalks.” He proposed the idea to the college president at his class reunion for Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, who connected him to local farmers. The third “reluctantly” agreed.

Frantz created an “imaginary dinosaur” maze, Cornelius the Cobasaurus, that included puzzle pieces, “kernels of knowledge,” a lookout bridge, and more. Frantz said every two minutes there should be something to grab the audience’s attention. The maze got national attention. The next one in 1995 drew more publicity and others noticed.

Now, this fall tradition is a favorite among families, and is special to residents in the area, as Twins BBQ in Brookfield does a corn maze every year. This year’s theme honors Dolly Parton and features two phases for varying difficulty levels.

Other essays to note are “The Device That Changed The World: How Phones Became Our Constant Companions — For Better or For Worse” by Tim Goodwin, and “Give Me a Home, Where the Bison Roam: Meet the Survivors of a Once-Thriving Symbol of the Open Plains” by Jeff Helsdon.

Essays that offered tips and tricks were “First-Aid Plants for Your Body and Soil” by Mare-Anne Jarvela, “Everything’s Coming Up Old-Fashioned Roses: Look to the Past for Roses Loaded with Fragrance and Charm” by Susan Peery, and “A Farmer’s Roots: Tips from a Pro Grower for Nurturing Greatness Underground” by Jenna Rich.

Copies of the 2027 The Old Farmer’s Almanac are available in stores around town and online. Visit almanac.com for more information about the publication and what else it has to offer.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.