What Kind of Winter is Coming?

Two woolly worms have taken up residency on my back deck near a pot of orange mums. The story they tell is confusing, as these tried-and-true weather predictors are telling different stories.

One of the guests is completely black, front to end, a sign, according to woolly worm experts, that the winter will be a cold, snowy one from December to April.

This guy's housemate leans to the brown with little black in the midsection but sporting warm, toasty shades on large parts of the front and back ends. This is an indication the winter will start out mild and end in the same manner.

Equally confused is the harvest from the nut trees, so we look to other experts: the honeybees.

If they are brooding honey rather than putting it in the highest areas of the hive, it could be an indication they are preparing for a rough winter.

But alas with no bee hives to examine, little information is offered here.

Okay, amateur weather predictors aside, let's look to the real experts, the 2024 Farmer's Almanac. These dealers in all information, be it interesting or boring, are sticking their necks out, wrapped in woolly mufflers, and saying to be prepared to bundle up and stock up on sidewalk ice melt.

"The Brrr is Back," headlines the Almamac's story.

"Above-average temperatures and excessive precipitation over the Great Lakes and Midwest as well as central and northern New England may translate into above normal snowfall during January and February," the Almanac's weather experts write.

Our old friend "El Nino," continues to work at grabbing the attention leading forecasters to caution about a cold and snowy months of November and December preparing all for the winters late winter and early spring traditional weather.

Cold and wet is predicted for spring 2024. The 2024 summer promises warm temperatures and plenty of precipitation, which could translate into plenty of thunder storms and hurricanes along the East Coast.

A frosty fall is predicted to close out for the year.