Winter weather outlook?

[ski diva]

I've always been fascinated by weather. In another lifetime -- or if I had to do it over again -- I might've even studied to be a meteorologist.

That said, different people rely on different means for predicting what the upcoming winter will be like -- and not all of them scientific. For example, some use the Farmers Almanac. Others observe the of abundance of acorns in the fall. And so on.

So do any of you have a method? And if so, what is it and what does it tell us about the season to come?

 

[Kiragirl]

I always love seeing the first woolybear of the fall season. There is some story that tells of how the relationship of the brown portion to the black indicates whether we will have a rough or calm winter.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainriver/1397721365/

 

[Kiragirl]

https://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=2306

An interesting story about the weather-prediction qualities of the wooly bear caterpillar and other critters. Now, I'm sure that's all you want to hear about the wooly bear! /end

 

[vanhoskier]

There are a lot of acorns on my oak trees, and the squirrels have been quite active lately.

I'm hoping this is promising news for a snowy, or at least cold, winter.

I always wait anxiously for Accuweather's winter predictions which come out sometime in October.

 

[Jilly]

There are load of berries on the Mountain Ashes in our neighbourhood. There is a folklore story about them too. Just don't know what it is.

 

[Telluride Ski Babe]

I just bought powder skis. That means a decidedly un-snowy winter this year.

 

[ski diva]

Hey, that's what usually happens to me!

'Cept it didn't last winter. I bought powder skis and we had an incredible year here in the east. Hopefully, you will, too.

 

[SnowHot]

My parents have walnut trees at their house. When the green husks around the shell are exceptionally thick, we tend to have an extreme winter.

 

[Lori_K]

I'm a weather nut too. I actually enjoy watching the Weather Channel.

I also just picked up this book: [ame="https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Weather-Record-Revised-Updated/dp/039333015X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220754156&sr=8-2"]https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Weather-Record-Revised-Updated/dp/039333015X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220754156&sr=8-2[/ame]

Also saw this little tidbit the other day about the lack of sunspots in August: https://www.dailytech.com/Sun+Makes+History+First+Spotless+Month+in+a+Century/article12823.htm

My gut feeling? This winter will be at least as cold and snow as last winter.

 

[vanhoskier]

The sunspot article was really interesting. I had heard that sunspots were in low numbers the past year, but none at all? Wow. It will be interesting to see if indeed there are climatic effects.

SnowHot talked about walnut casings....my neighbor has walnut trees, and the walnuts are in prolific supply lately. When they fall they land on my driveway. Yesterday, with the heavy rains from Hanna, walnuts were floating down my driveway!

While kayaking on the Lehigh River today, I noticed a bunch of acorns floating in the water.

 

[SnowHot]

The sunspot article was really interesting. I had heard that sunspots were in low numbers the past year, but none at all? Wow. It will be interesting to see if indeed there are climatic effects.

SnowHot talked about walnut casings....my neighbor has walnut trees, and the walnuts are in prolific supply lately. When they fall they land on my driveway. Yesterday, with the heavy rains from Hanna, walnuts were floating down my driveway!

While kayaking on the Lehigh River today, I noticed a bunch of acorns floating in the water.

The nuts are in good supply, means the animals will need them, eh?

Ever had Walnuts drop on your house?
They can be realllllly loud!

 

[Kiragirl]

At a CT state park with a lake there were a LOT of acorns on the ground, they kind of hurt your feet; I had to keep tossing them aside. Then I'd find another one under my butt while laying on my beach towel.

 

[vanhoskier]

Ever had Walnuts drop on your house?
They can be realllllly loud!

Yup! THONK! Took us awhile to figure out what it was, when my neighbor's trees grew high enough to drop them on our roof. Then I hear the squirrels go scampering across the roof.....probably chasing the walnuts!

 

[SnowHot]

Yup! THONK! Took us awhile to figure out what it was, when my neighbor's trees grew high enough to drop them on our roof. Then I hear the squirrels go scampering across the roof.....probably chasing the walnuts!

Yup, THONK! Scurry Scurry!

 

[tradygirl]

Hey, I'll still be in school this winter, so plan for another record-breaker in Utah.

Grumble, grumble.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Echoing tradygirl's sentiments, but in a more serious vein: probably will be a cold, snowy one, because New England homes' "choice" (rurally) of heat source - heating oil - is at record high prices. And, at least around here, communities are setting up "rescue squads" and "heating shelters" for people who can't afford and run out of heating oil lest they freeze to death. And charitable organizations for heating oil to help the poor are popping up everywhere. Some will begin carelessly burning wood, in old fireplaces/unlined flues. It's predicted that half the rural (volunteer) fire departments in my region could run out of funds by mid-winter if this does happen. A lot more houses are going to burn to the ground. (1 per week was the running average over the 7 winters I've been here.)

It's a really huge, looming crisis in some parts of the country -- where some seniors are looking at choosing between food, prescription medications---and heating oil.

In view of that, I surely hope this isn't the kind of winter it's looking like.....

 

[Kiragirl]

bumping the thread..... Is there a link between what skunks look like and winter weather? I just saw a skunk outside walking 3 feet away from me (I luckily saw him first and stayed still), and it was VERY white in color vs. black and white. The last time I saw a skunk so white in color was 1993...93-94 was a HUGE snowy winter. It started snowing in November and did not stop til April 1994.

 

[Moonrocket]

I think I posted about my horse last year and he sure did call a good winter last year.

This year he shedded a bit later than usual, but is really starting to fuzz up. We'll see, but this is our tenth winter together and he's never let me down.

That said the web cam at two elks looks mighty snowy tonight.

 

[Kiragirl]

ooooh, I just checked that web cam and it's getting me excited!

 

[Christy]

I think I posted about my horse last year and he sure did call a good winter last year.

This year he shedded a bit later than usual, but is really starting to fuzz up. We'll see, but this is our tenth winter together and he's never let me down.

That said the web cam at two elks looks mighty snowy tonight.

I love it! Except for the fact that CO and WA seem to be good on opposite years, so your horse may be predicting a not so great winter here.