After six years of drought many people are looking for a hard
winter, especially the senior citizens having coffee at the
Woodland Park Senior Center.
“We had a mild winter last year,” said Winston Gulley, “I only
used my snow blower twice. I’m predicting more snow. I’ve been here
four years and I think we’re due.”
John Willis didn’t want to make a prediction.
“I’ve been here 10 years and each winter has been different,” he
said. “I’m used to predicting weather in the western Pacific, but
if you stay in one place long enough you know where you are just by
listening.”
One man who is listening is Bud Jans.
“The way the fall animals are running around we’re going to have
a early winter,” he said. “I don’t know if it will be heavy but if
we get as much snow as we’ve had rain it’s going to be up to our
eyebrows.”
Fred Groebel agreed but the sign he sees is the weather pattern
that already exists.
“These cold fronts started coming down in August,” he said.
“We’re getting two or three a week.”
“Just like winter,” added Dan DesBois.
Another indicator of snow can be seen in the plants, especially
common mullein.
“We call it skunk cabbage,” Jans said. “They say the snow will
be as high as the skunk cabbage flower spikes are tall. I’ve seen
them standing over seven feet tall this year.”
Everyone was philosophical about the weather.
“I’ll just take it as it comes,” said Christiana Barnes, who
recently moved here from Alabama.
“Ask us next spring,” Gulley said.
Weather Lore
*Clear moon, frost soon.
*Cloudy mornings turn to clear afternoons.
*Good weather all the week, but come the weekend the weather
stinks.
*Halo around the sun or moon, rain or snow soon.
*Mare’s tails and mackerel scales make tall ships take in their
sails.
*No weather is ill when the wind is still.
*Pale moon doth rain, Red moon doth blow, White moon doth
neither rain nor snow.
*Smoke curling downward, poor weather.
*When a cow endeavors to scratch his ear, It means a rain shower
is very near. When he thumps his ribs with an angry tail, look out
for thunder, lightning and hail.
*All the months of the year, curse a fair Februeer.
*The blackest month of all the year is the month of
Janiveer.
*If February brings no rain, ’tis neither good for grass nor
grain.
*If the grass do grow in Janiveer, it grows the worse for it all
the year.
*In February, if thou hearest thunder, thou shalt see a summer
wonder.
*A wet January, a wet spring.
*A year of snow, a year of plenty.
*If Candlemas Day (Feb.. 2) be fair and bright, winter will have
another flight. But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain, Winter is
gone – it will not come again.
*A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.
*Thunder in the fall foretells a cold winter.
*If animals have an especially thick coat of fur, it will be a
cold winter.
*When squirrels bury their nuts early, it will be a hard
winter
*If fruit trees bloom in the fall, the weather will be severe
the following winter.
*If berries or nuts are plentiful, it will be a hard
winter.
*A cold winter is succeeded by a warm winter and vice
versa.
*I f the first snow falls on unfrozen ground, expect a mild
winter.
*It will be a bad winter if trees keep their leaves until late
in the fall
*Hornets nest built in the tops of trees point to a mild
winter.
*The first 12 days of the year are thought to foretell the
weather for each of the next 12 months.
*If an owl hoots on the east side of a mountain it denotes bad
weather.