Got a copy of Birds & Blooms from the neighbor the other day. Had an article in it about Wooly worms. I will painstakingly re-type the 'important' parts! ;-) Now after you read this....I'm sure there's plenty of us that are waiting for predictions from 'your' neck of the woods! 
I haven't seen any down my way...but my Mom up in SE Nebraska said she found an all black one the other day.
Do Wooly Worms Really Predict the Weather?
Every fall this bit of folk wisdom is passed down to another generation: Check the coloring of the wooly bear caterpillars for the winter weather forecast. but does this really work?
The wooly bear, which is an Isabella Tiger Month in larval form, has 13 segments. They are black at each end and reddish-brown in the center. Lots of black segements are said to predict a harsh winter, while a thick cluster of reddish-brown bands indicates a milder winter.
Over 50 years ago, entomologist C.H. Curran decided to test the theory by collecting wooly bears with his wife in new York's Bear Mountain State Park. The Currans continued their casual research for 8 years, and the caterpillars' "predictions" were accurate every time.
Most entomoligists scoff at the notion that wooly bears can predict the weather. They contened that the creatures' coat changes color over time, the only thing the black and brown bands tell you is how old the caterpillar is.
But some folks will swear by the wooly bear as a weather predictor. Why not pick one up and check out the winter forecast, just for the fun of it?
I haven't seen any down my way...but my Mom up in SE Nebraska said she found an all black one the other day. Do Wooly Worms Really Predict the Weather?
Every fall this bit of folk wisdom is passed down to another generation: Check the coloring of the wooly bear caterpillars for the winter weather forecast. but does this really work?
The wooly bear, which is an Isabella Tiger Month in larval form, has 13 segments. They are black at each end and reddish-brown in the center. Lots of black segements are said to predict a harsh winter, while a thick cluster of reddish-brown bands indicates a milder winter.
Over 50 years ago, entomologist C.H. Curran decided to test the theory by collecting wooly bears with his wife in new York's Bear Mountain State Park. The Currans continued their casual research for 8 years, and the caterpillars' "predictions" were accurate every time.
Most entomoligists scoff at the notion that wooly bears can predict the weather. They contened that the creatures' coat changes color over time, the only thing the black and brown bands tell you is how old the caterpillar is.
But some folks will swear by the wooly bear as a weather predictor. Why not pick one up and check out the winter forecast, just for the fun of it?
