Although weather may seem haphazard from day to day, weather services such as the National Weather Service and old-fashioned predictors, such as the The Old Farmer’s Almanac are able to examine weather patterns to predict long-range forecasts.

In the upcoming months, Selma will have a 33 percent chance of slightly below normal weather temperatures and normal rainfall, according to the national Weather Service in Birmingham.

Normal rainfall for January is 5.04 inches and February is 5.45 inches.

The National Weather Service predicts temperatures will be and average of 46.6 degrees for January and 50.5 degrees for February.

For this region of the country, the coldest periods will occur in early to mid-January, mid-to late January and in early and mid-February, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The Almanac breaks down forecasts within each month.

For January, forecasts are: Jan. 1-6, heavy rain, then sunny; Jan. 7-12, rain, then sunny, cold; Jan 13-16, showers, mild; Jan. 17-22, thunderstorms, then sunny, cold; Jan. 23-29, snow in the northern part and rain in the southern part of the Deep South region, then sunny; Jan. 30-31, rain, mild.

For February, forecasts are: Feb. Feb. 1-8, rain, then sunny, cold; Feb. 9-13, rain, then sunny, seasonable; Feb. 14-19, periods of snow north, rain south, then sunny, cold; Feb. 20-22, thunderstorms, warm; Feb. 23-28, periods of snow north, rain in the southern region, then sunny, cold.

The Almanac uses a formula created in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas based on studying the influence of the magnetic storms on the surface of the Sun called sunspots.

Now using state-of-the-art technology and modern scientific calculations of solar science, climatology and meteorology, predictions are based on historical weather conditions and solar patterns compared with current solar activity, according to the Almanac.

Results of the Almanac’s weather predictions are 80 percent correct.