The rabbits, cats, and dogs in the
Kansas City area have a noticeably heavy coat right now – according to folklore
heavier coats on any of our animal friends indicate very cold wet weather
coming soon. But that is not the only way to predict the weather using
non-scientific means.
Persimmon Seeds:
According to Mike Dougherty of Tree Management Company in Lenexa, Kansas, find
persimmon fruit in the supermarket or on a persimmon tree in your neighborhood.
Note: You can eat persimmon fruit but most people don’t think it is very tasty
and prefer to leave it for the deer, squirrels, and raccoons. The fruit should
be locally-grown to reflect the area weather. Cut one of the seeds inside the
fruit open and examine the shape of the white kernel inside.
- If the kernel is fork-shaped, we can expect
powdery, light snow and a mild winter.
- If the kernel is knife-shaped, expect to be
"cut" by icy, cold and cutting winds.
- If the kernel is spoon-shaped, lots of heavy,
wet snow will fall. The spoon is supposed to represent a shovel, which you will need to have on hand.
Animal Folklore:
·
If a mole
digs its hole 2½ feet deep, expect severe weather; if two feet deep, not so
severe; if one foot deep, a mild winter.
·
When pigs gather leaves and straw in
all, expect a cold winter.
·
When
rabbits are fat in October and November, expect a long, cold winter.
·
Wooly
Worms: According to folklore, the black-and-brown caterpillars can predict the
weather for the coming winter. If you find one during the fall season and see
that the brown band is narrow, winter weather will be harsh. Supposedly, wooly
worm weather predictions have been accurate 80% of the time since tracking
began in the 1950s.
·
Insects
and birds nesting high in the trees in the fall indicate a harsh winter is
ahead.
·
Tough
acorns: A thicker, harder shell than normal on acorns is a sign of hard weather
to come.
·
Squirrel activity: If the squirrels
are bustling around and storing more food than normal, or burying their acorns
deeper than normal, expect a hard winter.
The accuracy of these folklore
traditions may be questionable, however, it will be interesting to see what
actually happens this winter. If there is a lot of snow, I’ll be a believer.
Moon
Signs:
“Clear Moon, frost soon.” When the night sky is clear, Earth's surface cools rapidly—there is no cloud cover to keep the heat in. If the night is clear enough to see the Moon and the temperature drops enough, frost will form overnight, so expect a very chilly morning.
“Clear Moon, frost soon.” When the night sky is clear, Earth's surface cools rapidly—there is no cloud cover to keep the heat in. If the night is clear enough to see the Moon and the temperature drops enough, frost will form overnight, so expect a very chilly morning.
Farmer’s Almanac: I prefer to check a publication
that has been around since 1792. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac,
December temperatures will average 30° (2° below avg.) and precipitation will
be low at 0.5" (1" below avg.). The Almanac shows snowy and cold
periods from December 12 – 27, then very cold.
