Winter is knocking on our door! In fact, tomorrow is actually the first day of winter.
Have you been watching the nature weather predictors over the past couple of month?
Well, are we going to have a mild winter with little snow OR are we looking at a cold,
blustery, snowy winter?
Before Doppler radar and other high tech predictors, people relied on the indicators
from the natural world to predict the weather. Some call it weather wisdom, but it’s true
that our ancestors needed to observe nature much more than we do to help them
prepare for what the weather may bring. Let’s look at some of nature’s weather
predictors and see what they say.
Do you have an oak tree near your house? Have you noticed the ground of your yard,
driveway, or porch overrun with acorns? Folklore predicts that these same surfaces
may be blanketed by snow this winter.
If onions or cornhusks have thicker than normal skins or the leaves fall from the trees
late in the year, a tough winter is said to be ahead.
Persimmon’s seeds are thought to foretell the type of winter expected. Carefully cut the
seeds open lengthwise, if:
a spoon-shaped pattern appears, it is said to represent a shovel for all the heavy,
wet snow you will be shoveling
a knife shaped pattern appears, it signals cold, icy winter with cutting winds
a fork shape is visible, it means that a mild winter with only light powdery snow
can be expected.
Insects’ behavior can predict a harsh winter too:
ants marching single file, as opposed to meandering
crickets taking up residence inside your house
bees building nests high in the trees
spiders spinning larger than usual webs.
Just a few more indicators of a harsh winter ahead of us:
woodpeckers sharing a tree
the early departure of geese and ducks
thick hair on the nape of a cow’s neck
heavy and numerous fogs during August
raccoons with thick tails and bright bands
mice chewing furiously to get into your house
early arrival of crickets on the hearth
pigs gathering sticks
muskrats burrowing holes high on the river/creek/pond bank
how high a hornet’s nest will tell how high the snow will rest
if the woolly worm caterpillar’s orange band is narrow, the winter will be snowy
frequent halos or rings around the sun or moon forecasts numerous snowfalls
squirrels gathering lots of nuts “in a flurry” means a harsh winter is coming
some squirrels build leaf clusters in the branches of trees, as opposed to dens in the hollow trees, keep an eye on the leafy nest – high nests suggest a severe winter while lower nests or nests away from the tree’s center points to a milder season.
Have you seen any of these predictors? We have one oak tree that has dropped so
many acorns that the area underneath it looks like a cobblestone road. And heads up,
our horses started growing their thick winter hair all the way back in September!
What kind of winter do you think we are going to have?