Predictions from the Old Farmers Almanac - Will 2008 Be the Warmest Year in a Century?

The Old Farmers Almanac. Time was when it was second only to the Bible in every home. Nothing was done without consulting one or both of these time honored books. Both books are still strong sellers, and in my opinion, always will be.

Since this article is about the Old Farmers Almanac, which has received much publicity lately with the release of it's latest addition, let's discover some of the things that has kept the Almanac so popular all these years.

Predictions, sage advice, weather forecasts, bits of history, and entertainment are some of the things that the Old Farmers Almanac offers.

Old timers would always consult the Almanac for the moon phase and signs before planting or harvesting a crop. Dates for canning the harvested crop were planned the same way also. Predictions about impending births and deaths were predicted by the phase of the moon after the Almanac was consulted. Something as simple as a hair cut would not be attempted until the Almanac was consulted to see what the signs were in or what the phase of the moon was.

The Old Farmers Almanac then and now, has a little hole in the corner. A reminder of years gone by when the Almanac was hung on a nail in the outhouse. Many a person has planned their day sitting in an outhouse reading the predictions of the Almanac. I am glad the outhouses are gone and the Almanac is still around.

This years edition was released last week and has already created a buzz with it's prediction of 2008 being the warmest year in a century. Time honored, complex calculations, a secret formula based on sunspots and meteorology are said to be used to arrive at this prediction.

This prediction is coupled with folklore that years ending in '8' always have weird weather. years of note ending in '8' are mentioned- the frigid winters of 1748 and 1888, tornados in 1908, floods and hurricanes in 1938. Most of us were not around during those '8' years, so we will have to take their word on it.