Generally when someone wants to know the weather, they turn towards the National Weather Service, a meteorologist, or an app designed to tell them what they can expect over the next 7-10 days. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center can even provide a look at what the general weather could look in several months. But for skiers and snowboarders itching for a solid winter, those official sources often just aren’t enough.
For centuries, farmers, homesteaders, and general weather enthusiasts have turned toward folklore to tell them how the weather will turn out. That could be looking at the plants, observing the stars, or closely observing nearby animals. Some of them are based in scientific fact, some are pure folklore. No matter the case, they’re fun to be aware of and have a look at. Here are 10 ways the animals around you can help predict the incoming winter weather according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac.
10 Ways Animals Can Help Predict A Cold and Snowy Winter According to the Old Farmers’ Almanac
- Squirrels: Squirrels with big, bushy tails in the fall could be preparing for a colder winter. Additionally, if squirrels are stashing their nuts high up in the tree, the snow could be deep.
- Beavers: According to the Old Farmers’ Almanac, Indigenous Americans once relied on the thickness of beaver coats, the amount of body fat, where they hide their food caches, and how they build their winter dens to forecast the upcoming winters’ weather. The larger and stronger the beaver lodge, the harsher the winter could be.
- Birds: If birds are spotted migrating early, that could be a sign of a severe incoming winter.
- Robins: When robins are spotted near a house during the fall, a cold winter could be inbound.
- Wild Turkeys: If wild turkeys are perched in trees and they refuse to come down, snow could be imminent. If their feathers are unusually thick, look for a hard winter.
- Roosters: If hens molt before roosters, winter could be significantly hard.
- Bees: When bees are building their nests in protected spots like barns, they could be preparing for a hard winter.
- Hornets: The hight of a hornets nest apparently signifies how high the snow will be in the next winter.
- Ants: If the ant hills are especially high in July, it will be a snowy winter.
- Wooly Bear Caterpillar: The thinner the brown band found in the middle of the caterpillar, the harsher winter will be.
