Spring is here: it’s time to put the snow shovels and blowers away (for most of us anyway) and bring out the umbrellas and boots. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting spring weather that different regions in the United States can expect for the next few months. We’re keeping you updated every week on the latest news in the home improvement world, recommended reads, deals and sales worth your while, and more. In this installment of our news digest, we’re covering weather predictions for this season, hurricane season reminders, more real estate news, and other stories you can’t miss.
Extra, extra! FREE tickets are now available for our April webinar, “How to Get Rid of Weeds Once & For All!”
It’s a Wet One For Most
The Old Farmer’s Almanac spring weather predictions for 2025 are in, and it looks like a wet one for most—but also a warm one. Regions that will experience a drier season are upper New England, southern Florida, Texas–Oklahoma and the Heartland, the western Ohio Valley and Lower Great Lakes, the northern High Plains and Upper Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest and northern California. Most regions can expect higher-than-average temperatures. Exceptions to this are southern and central California, Desert Southwest, southern Florida, and western Ohio Valley: these regions can expect temperatures to be near to below normal.
How does The Old Farmer’s Alamac make its predictions? The exact method isn’t known, but for the past 80 years, the publication has reportedly been accurate 80 percent of the time by relying on solar science, climatology, meteorology, and an analysis of weather patterns and trends over the past few decades.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has also made a key prediction about storm season: it will be a particularly active and severe storm season, especially in the deep South. Hail, severe thunderstorms, and damaging winds are likely—a prediction we’re already seeing unfold.
RELATED: Was the publication right about winter 2024-2025? See the Farmer’s Almanac’s winter predictions.
Hurricane Season Starts Early; Buyers Spring For Housing—With Mom and Dad’s Help; A Kitchen Island Trend So Specific, We Had to Look Twice
Hurricane season doesn’t officially start until June 1, but experts warn that storm seasons can be unpredictable and start early. This has been true in recent years, including in 2016 when Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall in late May, and in 2012 when Tropical Storm Beryl struck Florida at near-hurricane strength before Memorial Day weekend. The warning comes after the National Hurricane Center identified a low-pressure system in the Atlantic.
The real estate market continues to be a market of contradictions. The Fed held interest rates steady at around 4.5 percent this week after the Federal Open Market Committee’s March meeting, meaning that mortgage rates are also unlikely to budge from just below the 7 percent mark. The Fed still anticipates two cuts this year, but it has downgraded its economic growth outlook given consumer uncertainty, economic volatility, and rising prices. Despite that, home sales rose 4.2 percent in February. Experts believe that buyers and sellers were waiting until mortgage rates came down in time for real estate’s busiest season, but no dice—and with no rate reduction in sight. Impatient buyers sprung for houses on the market in February, beating home sales expectations.
But how do they do it? It’s no secret that buying a home is more out-of-reach for middle- and lower-income families now than it was even a few decades ago. Even high-earning individuals say a higher cost of living and higher rents are eating into the funds they would otherwise save for a down payment or mortgage payments—making owning a home harder for those in higher tax brackets, too. In the face of these obstacles, many are turning to their parents to help cover the cost of owning a home, even entering into legal agreements on the repayment terms. It’s actually a smart move, if the parents can afford it: in many cases, by allowing their children to tap into their inheritance early, parents are creating generational wealth that would benefit many generations of descendants.
This kitchen island trend screams luxury, but you might have to squint to see it. Enter kitchen islands with mitered edges, a feature that makes the material look thicker, sturdier, and more expensive.
Deals and Steals
Many of our favorite retailers have released deals before their spring sales start, making this a great time to shop your favorite items before they’re sold out.
We’ll highlight our favorite deals every day of the sales in our daily newsletter, so check us out there. Sign up here.