Strange Weather Folklore and Facts and How to Predict Weather at Home

The basis for the idea that a Woolly Bear Caterpillar can predict how harsh a winter will be came about in the late 1940's when a Dr. C. H. Curran collected many Woolly Bears when he was on an outing with his wife at Bear Mountain State Park in New York. Dr. Curran worked at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, NY, among the insects as curator.

Dr. Curran shared his winter weather predictions based on the number of reddish-brown segments on the caterpillar with a reporter at the New York Herald Tribune which lead to his findings being published. He continued to try to prove this was a valid way to determine what kind of weather would take place in the winter for several years after, making the Woolly Bear one of the most popular caterpillars in the United States.

Many disagree because of the number of caterpillars used in the study. Others who have studied this believe that perhaps the coloring is affected more by the previous winter than the one to come.

Generally, determining winter weather through the colors on a Woolly Bear Caterpillar is considered folklore more than fact..but I'm not sure I'm convinced...how about you?

When Squirrels eat a LOT during the summer and look fat with big fluffy tails in the fall, it seems to make sense that the winter ahead will be a cold one. But is this a sure way to predict a cold winter, or just a case of an over-indulgent squirrel?

I am afraid that the scientific community would think the idea that you can predict a harsh, cold winter through the size of a squirrel's tail or how many acorns they consume is mostly folklore. But it is interesting to see what a wonderful umbrella the tail of a squirrel makes on a snowy or rainy day as they sit at my bird feeder with their tails covering their back and head. I think I'd like some extra padding and a fluffy tail to protect me from snow and rain like a squirrel during the cold months of winter if I had to live outdoors.

Yes, finally something from nature that really does help predict weather, the the pine cone can be used to predict certain weather conditions!

When all the seed sections that make up the pine cone, which are usually tightly closed, open or spread apart, it means the cone is drying and that humidity is low.

When the cone begins to close again, it means the humidity is increasing, and there is a chance of rain...or in the winter, snow.

Here is a link to a site that will tell you how to make a pine cone weather station.