With winter slowly starting to form we are all hearing varied predictions of how severe this oncoming winter will be. Last year, we were hit with one of the harshest winters in history making the curiosity level high. Will this be the case again?
Long range forecasts from meteorologists, weather statisticians, and the Farmers Almanac are all producing inconsistent predictions. Ranging from mild and dry to cold and snowy. So due to technical difficulties. Let us focus on our most time tested predictor of winter weather, the Banded Woolly Bear or Woolly Worm (Pyrrharctia isabella).
Folklore tells us that the Woolly Worm will produce a larger rusty band if the oncoming winter is to be mild and a thinner band if the winter is to be harsh. The Woolly Bear is often seen in October as it is seeking shelter for the winter.
Beggining in 1948 Dr. C. H. Curran, curator of insects at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, started researching this tale. Between 1948 and 1956 he found that the Woolly Bear can be 80% accurate. His yearly findings were published in the New York Times making the catterpillar one of the most identifiable insects in the United States. Today Woolly Bear festivals are held in Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina to celebrate this speculating insect.
Have you seen a Woolly Bear?
http://www.almanac.com/preview2000/woollybears.html The Truth About Woolly Bears (From The Farmers Almanac)
