Last winter, there were 26 named storms across the 48 contiguous states starting with Athena on Nov. 6 and ending with Achilles, which lasted until May 4. One of the largest storms, Euclid, stretched from the Sierra Nevada through the north central and south-central states to New England. It produced the snowiest Christmas on record in Little Rock, Ark., (9 inches) and drifts reaching four feet in Indiana.

Mother Nature is planning to wallop parts of the country this winter according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. In particular, its forecast calls for heavy snowfall on the East Coast, bitter cold in the Midwest, and above-normal snow levels in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Though unwelcomed news to most sectors of the construction industry, weather enclosure manufacturers could see strong sales of their products, which are designed to help outdoor crews continue working in the winter months.

One such company, Strong Man Safety Products, is reportedly ramping up production of their heaviest tarps "that keep heat in and weather out."

"Time is money in construction," notes Jay Kinder president of Strong Man. "Construction companies can't afford weather delays. Construction professionals demand products that go up and stay up in all types of weather."

The forecasted winter blast comes at a time when the construction industry is on an upward trend. Construction spending hit a four-year high in July and construction employment increased in 26 states between July and August according to the Associated General Contractors of America.