Really Strange Weather Folklore and How to Predict the Weather at Home

by Claudia Meydrech aka happynutritionist
New on Wizzley: August 2015 - Updated 5/14/18

his wife at Bear Mountain State Park in New York. Dr. Curran worked at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, NY, among the insects as curator.

Dr. Curran shared his winter weather predictions based on the number of reddish-brown segments on the caterpillar with a reporter at the New York Herald Tribune which lead to his findings being published. He continued to try to prove this was a valid way to determine what kind of weather would take place in the winter for several years after, making the Woolly Bear one of the most popular caterpillars in the United States.

Many disagree because of the number of caterpillars used in the study. Others who have studied this believe that perhaps the coloring is affected more by the previous winter than the one to come.

Generally, determining winter weather through the colors on a Woolly Bear Caterpillar is considered folklore more than fact..but I'm not sure I'm convinced...how about you?

How do you predict a harsh or mild winter with a Wooly or Woolly Bear Caterpillar? The larger the orange section is on the caterpillar, the harsher the winter will be.

This is a day observed in the USA to honor those who commit their lives to predicting the weather. So, if this is February 5th, Happy National Weatherperson's Day, and thank you for taking the time to keep us safe with your accurate as possible weather predictions!

PREDICTING WEATHER WITH A PIG'S SPLEEN

CLICK HERE TO SEE IF IT CAN BE DONE,

BUT BE SURE YOU COME RIGHT BACK, WE'LL MISS YOU!

I am afraid that the scientific community would think the idea that you can predict a harsh, cold winter through the size of a squirrel's tail or how many acorns they consume is mostly folklore. But it is interesting to see what a wonderful umbrella the tail of a squirrel makes on a snowy or rainy day as they sit at my bird feeder with their tails covering their back and head. I think I'd like some extra padding and a fluffy tail to protect me from snow and rain like a squirrel during the cold months of winter if I had to live outdoors.

While watching the weather channel one day, a man was interviewed who claimed that you can predict a hurricane and it's intensity with Shark Liver Oil. I thought it was fascinating and discovered the following video while searching online of another man, a native of Bermuda, sharing the tradition of using shark oil to predict storms, hurricanes, wind direction and more. He trusts this method more than modern technology. Listen to him speak, it's worth the 5 minutes, and look at his shark liver oil barometer in the background.

My late husband and I have looked into a few weather stations thinking it would be fun to see how reliable they are at predicting weather. We also liked the idea of being able to set it up so that others can see what the weather is like in our area by syncing with sites like Weather Underground. We were are seriously looking into buying a weather station like this one, and I still may.

When the cone begins to close again, it means the humidity is increasing, and there is a chance of rain...or in the winter, snow.

The video below will tell you how to make a pine cone weather station.

There are a couple of verses that I came across when reading my Bible that show that red skies predict weather for us. Those would be in Matthew...the Pharisees and Sadducees were challenging Jesus in this passage, and wanted Him to show them a sign, because they had heard of the miracles He had done. Jesus said in Matthew 16:2-3 "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?"

By February, unless you love winter weather, you're starting to dream of Spring weather. In February, that famous Groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with the help of some human friends, predicts when Spring will start. How accurate is this famous Ground Hog? I'll let you guess and give you the answer within the poll below.

Here is how Groundhog predicting works:

Groundhog sees shadow = a longer Winter
Groundhog doesn't see shadow = an early Spring

There are other Groundhogs that predict Spring, but Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous.

I would think that you'd need Groundhogs in many different locations to get a fair prediction of Spring, if the Groundhog has the power to do so, but one way or another, it's a fun tradition that has lasted for over 125 years.