Here is a common question this time of year. There is an old folklore about caterpillars. What does the coloring of a woolly bear mean? I have seen some where they are mostly brown. Does this mean a hard and snowy winter in the East?

Next to Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous weather prognosticators in the animal kingdom are the lowly caterpillars. Legend has it that the color and thickness of a caterpillar is a determinant of the upcoming winter. Here is how it goes:

The woolly bear caterpillar tells if it is a bad winter if there are a lot of them crawling around, if he has a heavy coat and if the black band on his back is wide. The more black than brown he is or the wider the black stripe, the worse the winter. A narrow orange band in the middle of the caterpillar warns of heavy snow. If this guy is fat and fuzzy, it means presage bitter cold.

If you want to be your own weather forecaster, he are 10 signs of a rough winter:

* Very thick onion skins or corn husks.

* Woodpeckers sharing a tree

* Early arrival of crickets on the hearth

* Spiders spinning larger webs

* Lots and lots of acorns

* Raccoons have thick tails

* Squirrels gather nuts early in the year

* Pigs gather sticks

* Frequent halos around the sun or moon

* Heavy and numerous fogs in August

There are many other things to observe. If you see any, pass them along.
woolyworm caterpillars rel=”tag”>woolyworm caterpillars

Technorati Tags: caterpillars, winter, Farmers’ Almanac