Bless Your Books Blog

By Courtnee Turner Hoyle

Could I be a good southern girl without my Farmer’s Almanac tucked under my arm and an arsenal of superstitions?

By comparing the patterns of the sun with historical conditions, the Farmer’s Almanac has been a guide for southern families for decades. In my section of Northeast Tennessee, many farmers attest that the guide is around eighty percent accurate. In 2022, the science led the authors to announce a colder-than-average set of temperatures for most of the United States.

My grandfather enjoyed farming, and he looked for nature’s clues to determine the weather for a particular season. He passed on one piece of information to me that I will never forget. He told me that woolly worms could help predict winter weather.

At eight years old, I’d never given too much thought to the insects that wiggled their way across roadways in the autumn, so I was skeptical. He explained that woolly worms, or tiger moth caterpillars, had thirteen segments, the same number as the weeks of winter in our area. Each of the sections represented a week, and the type of weather could be determined by examining the section that corresponded to the week. A rusty-colored section meant the week would be mild, but a dark segment indicated that the weather would be harsher.

Over the years, I have seen an array of woolly worm presentations. Through the cool breezes and frigid temperatures, it seems the woolly worm was around eighty percent correct about the chilly weather patterns. The “woolly bear” has estimated a harsh winter, backing up the Farmer’s Almanac’s claim.

Another curious predictor considers the number of fogs in my area in August. According to the belief, the number of fogs in August predicts the number of snows my area will experience in the winter. I have been amazed by the statistics on that one!

No matter what you believe, the winter season will be here soon. I hope you have beautiful days of light snow and warm beverages when you need them.