January 3, 2014

  • 20 Earthly Signs of a Harsh Winter Ahead

    Does nature know what’s in store for the 2013-2014 winter? Some people believe that nature has a way of telling us if a harsh winter is just around the corner. They turn to the behavior of plants and animals to determine how much wood will need to be chopped or if this is the winter to buy a snowblower. There are countless ‘Old Wives Tales’ that have been past down from generation to generation to help determine the veracity of a approaching winter. Here are 20 of the more widely known indicators.

    1. Thicker than normal corn husks
    2. Woodpeckers sharing a tree
    3. Early arrival of the Snowy owl
    4. Early departure of geese and ducks
    5. Early migration of the Monarch butterfly
    6. Thick hair on the nape (back) of the cow’s neck
    7. Heavy and numerous fogs during August
    8. Raccoons with thick tails and bright bands
    9. Mice eating ravenously into the home
    10. Early arrival of crickets on the hearth
    11. Spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers
    12. Pigs gathering sticks
    13. Insects marching a bee line rather than meandering
    14. Early seclusion of bees within the hive
    15. Unusual abundance of acorns
    16. Muskrats burrowing holes high on the river hank
    17. “See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest”
    18. Narrow orange band in the middle of the Woollybear caterpillar warns of heavy snow
    19. The squirrel gathers nuts early to fortify against a hard winter
    20. Frequent halos or rings around sun or moon forecast numerous snow falls.

     

    I have observed

    2, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 19 and 20

     I am an "Old Wife"

    I do know that we have had more cold, really cold, weather this year than I can remember in a long time!

    Also the hubby and son cut and split 3 pickup truck ( long bed) loads of firewood New Years day,

    that hasn't happened in a long while either....

    I don't know about you but I'm bundling up!

    How do you predict a harsh winter ahead?

     

    Have a Great Weekend!

    ilym

Comments (16)

  • Atmospheric trending with an eye toward the thickness of the d.o.g.'s coat... I predict a really cold one!

  • It's an odd winter so far. We had a few 70 degree days a few weeks back, but last night, a big snowfall and it's going to be (literally) zero degrees tonight. The wild swings seem to be getting more common. Blech. I don't like cold, so I'm bundling up anyway. :)

  • I am a determined believer that weather is always unpredictable. :-D

  • Yes, it's been a cold and hard winter! Those ways to tell are interesting even if not all of them happen. I heard we were going to have a hard winter but I just didn't want to believe it. :P

  • the squirrels are really gathering the nuts but I'm a town girl.

  • Last winter hardly existed as a typical NE Ohio winter, but this year we've already gotten a decent amount of snow despite one bizarre warm-up (which resulted in some flooding) around Dec 22. Next week we should be well below zero. I love the cold so I'm happy with this.

  • I believe the weather report AFTER I see what the weather did! :-D

    A Native American friend of mine said her grandmother said "However high the sunflowers grow in the Summer...that is how much snow we will have in the Winter."

    I think animals can alert us to what is coming weather-wise and in other things.

    HUGS and Happy Whee-kend!!! :-)

  • We just learned today that there were only 3.5 inches of rain in 2013 -- normal is 15-16". And they tried to measure the water content of the snowpack this weekend -- but there was no snow in the mountains to sample! We need rain badly, after the hot summer we had!

  • Mostly by how bushy the cat and dog and horse's coats get when the cold weather comes. But we had a lot of fogs around here in aug and I've seen the halo around the moon quite a few times. It's a cold winter, you bettcha... :) <3

  • The wooly worm caterpillar stripe is the best indicator of how long the winter will be. Thick hair on animals is another. But normally I only believe what the weather will be by waiting until the morning and looking outdoors. :)

  • Here in Denmark, we don't seem to have harsh Winters. We have boring Winters. I would love to see some snow! I guess you better keep your snow shovel handy, and stock up on necessary items!

  • I miss my woodpecker. I had one in tree outside my bedroom window this fall. He seemed to nest alone, and would skwack when the blackbirds tried to take over his hole.

    I remember the black and brown wooly caterpillars from childhood, but haven't seen any in years. another fond memory.

    I believe most people by now are having record cold temps, or will by tonight at least (single digits for NW FL even!) I hope everyone has enough to bundle up in.

  • Thanks for sharing your old wives tale.

  • I think the squirrels get a thicker, much thicker fur and their tails are large and thick also. I have noticed that over the years.

  • wasn't sure you would see my answer on my site to your question ~ I have a heated birdbath ~ :)

  • It can't get much harsher than this!!! If I ever meet Al Gore, I am going to punch him right in the nose. Global warming, my A$paragus.

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