The Farmer’s Almanac is projecting a harsh 2025–26 winter, with deep freezes from the Northern Plains to New England and repeated snowstorms across the Great Lakes and Northeast. Even with a spotty track record, the forecast collides with already fragile grids in the Mid-Atlantic, raising the risk of blackouts, price spikes, and political blowback. For markets, a colder winter favors going long on natural gas (UNG, LNG exporters) and heating oil plays, while utilities (XLU, Constellation, PPL) could see both upside in pricing and volatility risk. Severe snow years also boost demand for equipment and retailers (DE, CAT, GNRC, WMT, COST), while insurers face higher catastrophe losses.

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