Folklore or Fact

Well, if you believe old-time folklore, this woolly bear caterpillar’s wide rusty-brown band is indicating we’re gonna have mild winter -

This dude was crossing the walking trail in front of me this morning. I’m guessing looking for a cozy spot to hibernate for the upcoming winter.

Not to be a spoil-sport or anything, and my apologies for being the “bear”er (see what I did there) of bad news but woolly bear caterpillars cannot actually predict the weather, DUH! Rather their distinct coloring reflects their age, diet and the number of molts rather than the severity of  the upcoming weather.

Mild Or Harsh

Could this be a sign of things to come?!

The oak trees are loaded with acorns this years, oodles of them, see the pic I took the other day -

According to popular weather folklore, a heavy crop of falling brown acorns in the autumn 🍂 predict a harsh, cold and snowy winter…

Or

Is this simply a “mast year” - a natural cycle where large groups of oak trees drop an unusually massive and coordinated crop of acorns, which happens every 2 to 10 years.

Ask me in the spring of 2027 and I’ll let you know what it means 😉

Goldenrod And Lore

The Goldenrod is starting to bloom here in East Tennessee -

Old time weather lore says that when Goldenrod is blooming, the first frost is about 6-weeks away!

The days are getting shorter and the evenings a bit cooler. It’s a coming folk, fall is fast approaching!

Woolly Bear & Old Man Winter

Folklore, which goes back to Colonial times, says the upcoming winter can be predicted by the stripes on the Woolly Bear caterpillar.  

According to the legend, the longer the woolly bear’s black bands, the more severe the winter will be–longer, colder and snowier. On the flip side, the wider the middle brown band is, the milder the upcoming winter will be. 

In addition, the position of the longest dark band is said to indicate which part of winter will be coldest and hardest. So, if the head end is dark, then the beginning of winter will be worse. If the opposite end is dark, the end of winter will be colder.

According to the folklore, the 13 segments of the caterpillar’s body correspond to the 13 weeks of winter. And the "woolier" the coat, the colder the winter.

The caterpillar’s coloring is thought to be based on its age, how long it’s been feeding and its species. In North America, there are over 200 species.

I took the below pics the other day on my walk.  Seems, based on these dudes anyway, that we're in for a milder winter around here, if you believe in the folklore.  We'll have to wait and see what Old Man Winter delivers...