Will we have a mild winter, or will it be harsh weather?
Our ancestors survived by paying attention to the land and by observing the natural world they learned to predict what the seasons would bring.
Clouds, birds, animals, and plants all provided clues.
While these observations have no scientific facts, they did help people throughout many centuries, so let’s take a look.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND WEATHER
Animal behavior has long been connected to weather.
By looking at the thickness of their coats, amount of body fat, where they hide their food and how they build their winter homes have all been used to predict was winter weather.
Native Americans watched how beavers built their homes.
They believed that the larger and more secure the beaver home, the harsher the winter was going to be.
“When you see a beaver carrying sticks in its mouth, it will be a hard winter—you better go south.”
If skunks are overly fat, a cold winter is on the way.
When squirrels are scarce in autumn, it indicates a cold winter but if you see chipmunks in December, it will be a mild winter.
If squirrels stash their nuts high in the trees, the snow will be deep. “When squirrels early start to hoard, winter will pierce us like a sword.”
BIRDS AS WEATHER PREDICTORS
It’s believed that if birds migrate early we’ll have a severe winter.
If turkey feathers are unusually thick, look for a harsh winter. When wild turkeys perch in trees and refuse to come down, snow is on the way.
“If the rooster moults before the hen, we’ll have winter thick and thin. If the hen moults before the cock, we’ll have winter hard as a rock.”
Plants were often used as weather predictors.
- Tough apple skins or thick onions skins meant a rough winter
- When it came to flower buds, “Look for a heavy winter coat if the buds have heavy coats.”
- When corn husks are thicker and tighter than usual, a cold winter is forecast.
“Mushrooms galore, much snow in store. No mushrooms at all, no snow will fall.”
“When leaves fall early, fall and winter will be mild. When leaves fall late, winter will be wild.” If the leaves wither on the branches in October instead of falling, an extra cold winter
Heavy crops of acorns, rose hips, hawthorn and other berries mean a hard winter is ahead, while a bountiful walnut crop means a mild winter is coming.
Thick nutshells predict a severe winter. “As high as the weeds grow, so will be the bank of snow.”
Long ago, Ben Franklin said, “Some of us are weather wise and some are otherwise,” and weather holds our fascination even to this day.
