Every year around this time I begin to hope for a winter full of cold weather and snow. Living in south-central Oklahoma this means I am usually greatly disappointed, but a man can dream. One of the things I do is search long-range weather forecasts, hoping to see “wet and cold” over my region, but early this morning I found something altogether different and knew I had to share it with you.
One of the sources people consult is the Farmer’s Almanac. A quick search through “The Google” produced this meteorological gem. Enjoy!
Here are the signs of a hard winter to come according to folklore:
Thicker-Than-Normal Corn Husks.
Woodpeckers Sharing a Tree.
The Early Arrival of the Snowy owl.
The Early Departure of Geese and Ducks.
The Early Migration of the Monarch butterfly.
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 Home.
The Early Arrival of Crickets on the Hearth.
Spiders Spinning Larger-Than-Usual Webs and Entering the House in Great Numbers.
Pigs Gathering Sticks.
Ants Marching in a Line Rather Than Meandering.
Early Seclusion of Bees Within the Hive.
Unusual Abundance of Acorns.
Muskrats Burrowing Holes High on the River Bank.
“See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest.”
The Size of the Orange Band on the Woollybear (or Woollyworm) Caterpillar. According to folklore, if the caterpillar’s orange band is narrow, the winter will be snowy; conversely, a wide orange band means a mild winter. All black caterpillars are not Woollybears. And fuzzier-than-normal woollybear caterpillars are said to mean that winter will be very cold.
Squirrels Gathering Nuts Early to Fortify Against a Hard Winter.
Frequent Halos or Rings Around the Sun or Moon Forecasts Numerous Snowfalls.
Well there you have it…if you notice any of these signs around, you might be blessed with a white Christmas!
