Will the 2014 – 2015 winer weather be full of cold weather and snowstorms?
Does nature know what’s in store for the 2014-2015 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.
20 Earthly Signs of a Harsh Winter Ahead
- 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
- The squirrel gathers nuts early to fortify against a hard winter
- Frequent halos or rings around sun or moon forecast numerous snow falls.