Winter, What Do Woolly Worms Say?

Woolly Worm / Woolly Bear

According to legend, a woolly worm has the mysterious ability to predict the severity of the coming winter.  You can tell how bad or good the coming winter is going to be by checking out the  copper / brown band around the typical worm's middle, the wider the band, the milder the coming winter will be. But if the band is narrow, you might as well get ready for lots of cold and snow days which are bound to happen within the coming months.  At least that’s the theory behind the annual Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, North Carolina (USA) regarding the fabled caterpillar.

Here’s another way to put it: When you see the most familiar woolly worm (some folks call them “woolly Bears”) in North America, and it has more brown than black, then you can expect a mild winter, but, on the other hand, more black than brown means a severe winter.

If you think Banner Elk is the only place that promotes this concept, then think again; since 1987, during the third weekend of October, the Main Street of Beattyville, Kentucky, USA is closed to automobile traffic, as the annual Woolly Worm Festival kicks off, lasting a total of three days, Friday-"Opening Day", Saturday-"Parade Day", and Sunday-"Closing Day".  

The festival includes a large number of musicians that perform almost constantly on one of two stages; there are dozens of booths offering a wide variety of merchandise, and some interesting and delicious food; plus helicopter tours of the area.   Ods are, you’ll not soon forget the "Woolly Worm Race", which is won by coaxing one of these “Hairy Caterpillars” up a string, and yes, the first one to reach the top wins, but there is a strictly enforced one and only rule: “no touching”.

In Kentucky, as in North Carolina, “Woolly Worm” actually refers to the “Woolly Bear” caterpillar which has a “scientific” name as well: Pyrrharctia Isabella.

Speaking of the Woolly Bear caterpillar, there has been a single day festival with the same and theme held in Vermilion, Ohio, USA, which is located near Lake Erie since 1987.  Locals there say it is the biggest 1 day festival held within the state of Ohio. Similar events flourish in other areas as well.

Keep in mind that the skills of weather prediction possessed by the woolly worm operate on the same basis as the ground hog, which we all know predicts an early spring in the absence of its shadow.

The truth is, whether (as opposed to “weather”) or not the simple woolly worm can give us a reliable forecast or not is anyone’s guess.  So if you must know what the future will bring in regard to the coming winter months, I suggest the tried and tested “Farmers Almanac”.

As a matter of convenience, for you American readers, I have borrowed the Almanac’s winter forecast for the continental United States or as some may say, “The lower 48”:       

“The upcoming winter looks to be cold to very cold for the Northern Plains, parts of the Northern Rockies, and the western Great Lakes. In contrast, above-normal temperatures are expected across most of the southern and eastern U.S. Near-normal temperatures are expected in the Midwest and Far West, and in southern Florida.”

Sources …                                                               http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130625618           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_bear_caterpillar                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beattyville,_Kentucky          http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2011/08/29/2012-us-winter-forecast/