HAGERSTOWN – LocalNews1 has partnered with The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack to bring you a story every Monday taken from current or past editions of the Almanack. First published in 1797, it’s the second oldest almanac in the United States and has been in continuous publication for 230 years and is the only almanac in the United States still published by the founders’ direct descendants.
Anyone who has been outside this winter season knows that it has been extremely cold, colder than many of us can remember. The almanack features a section called The Twelve Seasons of the Mid-Atlantic for 2026, and here is what is says about this chilly winter.
Of the 12 seasons, five are devoted to the winter. Here is what the almanack states:
Winter: Not to be confused with the time period between the winter solstice to the date of the spring equinox, when we refer to winter, we are talking your cookie-cutter coldest, snowiest weeks of the year. For the 2025-26 winter, this time period will occur between Dec. 21, 2025 and Jan. 11, 2026.
Fool’s spring: We get our first snow and cold spell and then boom; it turns very warm, and we end up thinking winter is finished. For the 2025-26 winter, Fool’s Spring will occur between Jan. 11 and 17. Given the seasonably cold weather leading up to this period, there should not be any negative consequence to the ski and snowboarding season.
Second winter: Ok, this time frame is our second slate of days during the winter with nothing but cold weather and occasional snow and/or ice. Mark the dates from Jan. 18 to Feb. 10 for our second dose of cold and snow in 2026.
Spring of deception: This is the second “thaw” of the winter season. We believe those dates for 2026 will be Feb. 10 to Feb. 28. There will be snow, but several mild periods in between are expected.
Third winter: Ok, now we are ready to move into spring and Mother Nature throws a wrench in those plans. This is the final period of cold and snow in our winter. For 2026, our third winter will be March 1 to March 23.
This is a excerpt from “The Twelve Seasons of the Mid-Atlantic for 2026” featured in The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack. LocalNews1 is pleased to partner with Gruber’s Hagerstown Town & Country Almanack to bring you the most relevant, timely and informative content about and around Washington and Franklin counties.
