Maybe it was one of those cooler mornings of late, or maybe it was seeing the heating oil signs edging toward $5 per gallon? In any case, thoughts of winter crossed my mind this past week.

I also came across an article on the web regarding predictions for the winter of 2026-2027.

We get what we get during the winter, am I correct? It is the dealing with what we get that’s the challenge.

As I scrolled through the article, the climate phenomenon phase, El Niño, seems to be the clearest predictor of this coming winter’s weather for the Northeast. But it’s not the only one. There are situations where the Atlantic Ocean comes into play, the Sun’s activity, the movement of the Polar Vortex which determine the winter weather.

Will we get wet weather, followed by freezing temperatures and ice? Will we be buried in snow again? Will we have a mild winter? Who knows?

But the heating oil rise in cost is most troubling. We’re hoping that the war in Iran comes to an end soon so those prices drop. We’re also hoping that those who need assistance with paying for heating oil can get it.

In any case, when the leaves start to change color and the cooler nights of October set in, I will be sure to have my furnace in working order, my oil tank have enough fuel to get me to Christmas, my snow shovel in place and a bag of sand or salt ready for icy walkways.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy the rest of summer and early fall.