10 Signs of a Hard Winter

Caleb Weatherbee move over… you can become your own weather forecaster. During the past 5 weeks I have heard from many people about the signs of nature. For the most part you can make your own predictions by close observation of what is going on above and around you. Yesterday, Bob, remembered that his grandfather used to say that when leaves are left on an oak tree for a long time it meant something – either a long winter or a mild one. Unfortunately, I have never heard about this observation and he will check back at the end of the winter to let me know what happened.

Here is a quick list of 10 signs of a hard winter:

• Very thick onion skins or corn husks

• Woodpeckers sharing a tree

• Early arrival of crickets on a hearth

• Mice entering the house in great numbers

• Frequent halos around the moon

• Heavy and numerous fogs in August

• Lots and lots of acorns

• Spiders spinning larger than usual webs

• Squirrels gathering nuts earlier than normal

• Raccoons have thick tails and bright bands

You know it will rain when….

• Leaves on a tree show their backs

•A cow scratches its ear

• Large halo around a moon

• Sound travels far and wide

• Birds stay perched on a telephone wire

• Your corns and or broken bones “talk” to you.

• Curls kink and phone cords bind

There are many others signs of weather. These are only a few. If you have a local favorite, please feel free to share it with me.

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