DENVER — Winter lore is a collection of tips, tricks, tales and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. The woollybear caterpillar, for instance, is said to be able to predict the coming winter by the size of its orange center segment.
A long orange segment means a mild winter is coming. A thin orange strip means a harsh winter is ahead.
"I think Mother Nature likes to gives us hints about what may be coming our way," said Sandi Duncan, editor of the Farmers' Almanac. "It's just whether or not we are observing it and able to recognize it, that I think is the challenge in today's world."
Here are a few more lore examples listed in a recent Farmers' Almanac article:
- Thicker corn husks - harsh winter
- More acorns - harsh winter
- Big spiderwebs - harsh winter
- August fog - snowy winter
- Early monarch migration - harsh winter
Duncan said the lore may not be more accurate than a meteorologist or even her own Farmers' Almanac winter predictions, but they are more interesting.
The Farmers' Almanac, by the way, says Colorado should brace for a cold winter with average snow. Duncan said they do not use winter lore in their predictions. Instead, their prognostications are based on mathematics and astronomy.
The climatologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) don't use winter lore either. Their winter outlook shows that the chances of the Front Range having a colder than average winter are equal to the chances that we’ll have a warm one. And the snow chances are also the same for above or below average.
That forecast might steer you back toward the flare of winter lore.
“According to weather lore, the first snowfall will come six weeks after the last thunderstorm in September,” Duncan said.
Well, Denver's last September thunderstorm came on Sep. 22, so that would mean, according to weather lore, our first snow would come on Nov. 3. Lock it in!