20 Signs of a Hard Winter
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Signs of Nature, Harsh Winter, Woollybear Caterpillars, Acorns
Ok, the Farmers’ Almanac prediction for a Numbingly Cold winter is out, but what are the real experts saying? A wonderful friend of Ray Geiger, ( Cleveland weather guru - Dick Goddard) put together a laundry list of “signs” of nature. We featured these in the 1978 edition and it is still relevant today. here are the 20 Signs of A Hard Winter.
Thicker than normal corn husks
Woodpeckers sharing a tree
Early arrival of the Snowy owl
Early departure of geese and ducks
Early migration of the Monarch butterfly
Thick hair on the nape (back) of the cow’s neck
Heavy and numerous fogs during August
Raccoons with thick tails and bright bands
Mice eating ravenously into the home
Early arrival of crickets on the hearth
Spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers
Pigs gathering sticks
Insects marching a bee line rather than meandering
Early seclusion of bees within the hive
Unusual abundance of acorns
Muskrats burrowing holes high on the river hank
“See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest”
Narrow orange band in the middle of the Woollybear caterpillar warns of heavy snow; fat
and fuzzy caterpillars presage bitter cold
The squirrel gathers nuts early to fortify against a hard winter
Frequent halos or rings around sun or moon forecast numerous snow falls.
I have heard from several parts of North America about what folks are seeing. Example:
Just reading on AOL that you predict a very harsh winter. We have lived on the Lake at Big Bear Lake, CA for 10 years. We are retired so we have time to watch the wildlife. This is the first year that we have had so many baby ducks that we can’t count them all. They started hatching very early and are still hatching. We have never seen so many. Every mother it seems has from 4-9 little ducklings. We have been wondering why so many. Thanks for your good work. - BJ.
So what signs of nature are you observing?
its just now september and i noticed already ducks flying south.
Here is South East Ohio, we have seen the Geese Flying South in a V formation the last week or 2 in August.
We also have seen Heavy fog in August this year. I can`t remember when that has happened in the past.
I drove through the Poconos and No. NJ over the weekend and saw some color in trees in both places. I believe this can be attributed to the cool nights and bright days we’ve had in the past few weeks. Whether it predicts an early Fall/Winter, I don’t know.
Hi from Kentucky. I live right outside of Louisville and I’ve noticed leaves already on the ground. It’s been hot & humid here, so I think the leaves are dying & not turning to fall. We haven’t had a good rain in close to a month. My father though noticed today that we have fuzzy; solid black caterpillars in our yard. Not sure what this means, but I think the almanac stated this part of the country (southeast) is suppose to have a regular/mild winter. We are overdue a hard, wet winter. We usually get one every 4-5 years. This past winter we didn’t get cold weather or noticeable snow amount til mid Feb to mid March. Bad winters here consist of regular snow falls of 8″ plus.
Cricket are moving in the garage to keep warm.
I live in MO and I’ve already seen numerous geese flying south, and there’s been so much fog lately. Some trees are already starting to change…
I am English and grew up in England. We were always told thaat an overabundance of berries on trees and bushes heralded a harder than usual Winter. I am noticing this in Michigan this year. Has any one else heard of this? My husband doesn’t believe me but it seems to fall under the category of an abundance of acorns which you write about here.
Eastern Oklahoma the persimmons have spoons, the maple tree leaves are turning red and falling and yes the crickets are on the move.
9 persimmons 7 spoons 1 knife and a snow shovel and woolly bears seen like a dozen or so all were black as coal unusually thick to been bow hunting the last two weeks under a hickory tree so many nuts very thick husk and i watch squirrels all day there thick tails follow them around as they burry all those hickory nuts and the spider webs are numerous and large fog was nearly a daily occurrence in aug (and i dont live near a river lol) and all the peach and apple orchards said there having a bumper crop one longtime farmer said this is the most peaches per tree hes seen in his 38 years of experience doves nearly all flew south befor the season even open o and sun spot are at a fifty year low over 200 spotless days so far thats remarkable with 3 months left in the year a cooler world wide the last 4 months and the pacific ocean as cold as its been in years so write out of your mouth “numbing cold” keith in mo
We cut open a persimmon plant here in Oklahoma this year….and it showed a “shovel” which means a harsh winter with heavy and wet snow.
A “fork” means a mild winter with light powdery snow
A “knife” means an icy winter with cutting winds.
Also, we have seen a lot of squirrels gathering their nuts early….and they have built their nests low in the trees which predicts that winter will be bad.
Please tell me you are kidding. For example, squirrels gathering their nuts early? Really? Squirrels will gather nuts whenever they are available. If the nuts are early, it has nothing to do with future weather; it has everything to do with the weather up to this point.
Anyone who believes this claptrap needs to have their head examined. You can no more predict the weather using these techniques than by reading the leaves left in your tea cup.
If you don’t believe me, keep track of this junk and the subsequent weather for a decade, then go back and see how accurate they predicted the weather. I’ll bet a year’s salary that there is no correlation.
No wonder this country cannot keep up, we substitute premonition for scientific reason.
Doug the Sceptic (sic),
Some people take a leap of faith with these things and you should not be so dismissive. People of science are disproved all the time.
I’d also advise in these difficult economic times that you not bet a year’s salary on anything outside of the sun rising in the east.
I did enjoy your use of the word “claptrap” however. For those who would like a definition:
“Absurd or nonsensical talk or ideas.”
I live 30 min. outside Atlanta and have a huge yard with ancient oaks.
There is a major bumper crop of acorns on the ground everwhere - and an unusually large population of squirrels that have sprung up. We haven’t had a really hard snow in more than 10 years - I think we’re over due down here.
For those of you who are sceptic’s: when it’s overcast, don’t you think “its going to rain”? If you have studied anything about our world’s past weather then you know that there are cycles and signs. You are foolish just to dismiss it. The animals plan ahead - don’t you? Even bugs plan ahead. Just because you can’t sense what they sense doesn’t mean its not for real.
Remember the tsunami? All the animals ran for higher ground/
remember those elephants that
saved those tourists?
I think I’m going to take nature’s hint and plan ahead.
Re Claptrap:
A huge part of science has to do with the observation of nature. You can learn a lot from being in touch with the land and a wholesale discounting of behavioral cues displayed by the animal/insect kingdom is flawed logic.
Here in the Upstate of SC we have been experienceing warm days and freezing nights already. It was extremely dry this past summer. The monarch all was migrating in july, not sure if that is normal for them. The pecan trees all are wieghted down with pecans, breaking the limbs. The acorns are huge and falling like hail outta the sky. I have found 3 wolly bears and all 3 were solid white, no orange or brown to them at all and fat as my thumb. The squirrels are all gathering pecans, but not burying them just putting them under tuffs of grass. I haven’t seen as many geese as we normally have around here. I say we are in for one heck of a winter. We are over due for it, like Shannon from ATL said it’s been a while since we have had a good snow. I say it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for the winter ahead.
I live in Rhode Island and this has been a very mild Fall so far. The first time I can remember no leaves on the ground for Halloween. Theyt just started dropping last week and the tress are still full. Not the ususal mess of leaves in the street we usually have by end of October. I am looking out my window now an an expanse of color witrh 69 dwgree temperatures predicted for today and low 60’s the rest of the week. We have had 1 mild frost so far, nothing substantial. If that is any predictor for winter, I’ll place MY money on a mild winter here at lrast.
East Tennessee. I live partly in a forest. I Have had a hot dry summer, well year rather. My Oak trees have hardly put out acorns. I suppose it’s due to the drought. Although the humming birds did leave in mid September. I have a cloud of Lady Bugs that are moving into my attic and finding their way into my house. Could that be a sign of a hard winter?
I’m in Southern California and we are having a huge increase in crickets. This fall we are having 2-3 a night in the house and hundreds outside. It is the same for our whole neighborhood. I hope it means a wet winter as we could really use it here.