Welcome to the gloomiest time of the year. Just kidding, I absolutely love the overcast days, with sometimes early morning fog as thick as pea soup.
So far I’ve experienced rainstorms, hail, sleet, and light snow, and this was just November and the first days of December. Winter has arrived early, like an icy rhapsody preparing for its masterful opus in the colder months ahead.
I also love Christmastime with all the decorations and lights, so I put up my Christmas tree and decorations the first week of November this year; why wait! It just felt right and the weather seems to agree since it’s been rainy and dark since last month, and not planning to stop any time soon.
As I write this short missive, I’m occasionally glancing out the window and imagining that I am back in London. The darkened atmosphere, wet rooftops from steady drizzle, and occasional rain reminds me of my travels there. I also imagine a cozy library ambience with wood paneling and shelves full of books occupying an entire wall, and a crackling fireplace. I of course am seated in a comfortable chair, feet up on ottoman, and reading my latest find.
Wintry trees stand proudly amidst autumn burnt ones that sway, practicing the pointe technique as ballet dancers poised to show the world their grace and beauty in the seasonal gusts. Much of the leaves have fallen, but some stubbornly clinging to the branches are a striking contrast to their kin baring no leaves while swaying in the winds.
Under a dove grey sky the landscape dons its winter coat, with darker hues and shifting winds. The morning ground is now slicker, and the pathway sparkles and crunches underfoot like sugar. My breath catches in the frozen air in visible puffs, and I search for winter flowers, as the summer ones are now asleep. The winter birds have arrived with their beautiful song, robins singing, and chickadees dee-dee-dee chirps.
Hitherto the crisp cold wind and rain has shown no signs of letting up, and snow has fallen early in many places. The coming months appear to be harsh ones. Soon, the snow will abundantly come down, white and glistening large snowflakes. The coolness in the air rejuvenates my soul, and elevates my spirits, which gives me inspiration while I write my stories.
To all my readers on those crisp winter days, dress warmly, wear thick socks, and eat home-made soups and stews, and don’t forget cocoa with marshmallows.
Here are some winter weather folklore sayings that have been passed down by generations of people who lived close to the land and nature. Which ones do you know?
Acorns: that fall heavily means a cold winter is coming. Also, a large crop of walnuts means a snowy, cold season. Thick nutshells predict a severe winter.
Ants: “If ant hills are high in July, winter will be snowy.”
Apple skins: That are tougher and thicker foretell a colder winter is expected.
Beavers: Were important forecasters for Native Americans. The thickness of their coats, amount of body fat, where they hide their food caches, and how they build their winter dens, were all used to predict winter weather. Indigenous peoples believed that the larger and stronger the beaver lodge, the harsher the winter to come.
“When you see a beaver carrying sticks in its mouth, it will be a hard winter—you better go south.”
Bees: If they build their nests in a protected spot such as inside a barn or shed, expect a harsh winter. “As high as the hornets build their nests so will the snow be next winter.”
Berries: An abundant crop of berries is also a sign of a cold, snowy winter; a plentiful crop of berries means the following winter will be cold.
Birds: Migrating early foretell a severe winter. If robins are seen near a house during the fall, the winter will be cold.
Corn husks: That are thicker and tighter than usual indicate a cold winter ahead as well.
Flowers: That have a second bloom in the fall or hold onto their blooms late in the season forecast a colder winter.
“Flowers bloomin’ in late autumn,
A sure sign of a bad winter comin’.”
Leaves: That fall early indicate winter will be mild. When leaves fall late, winter will be wild. If the leaves wither on the branches in October instead of falling, an extra cold winter is in store. “When leaves fall early, fall and winter will be mild; When leaves fall late, winter will be severe.”
Months: “If a cold August follows a hot July, It foretells a winter hard and dry.”
“For every fog in August, There will be a snowfall in winter.”
“If the first week in August is unusually warm, the coming winter will be snowy and long.”
“A warm October, A cold February.”
“As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens.”
Mushrooms: Galore, much snow in store. No mushrooms at all, no snow will fall.
Nature: Clouds, birds, animals, and plants all provide clues to predict what the winter will bring. Generations of hunters, farmers, and fishermen, have relied upon this weather lore to predict storms and the severity of the coming winter. The study of weather proverbs is known as paroemieology. Most are just fun with no basis in scientific fact, while others have been found to have a some truth to them.
Onion skins: That are thicker than usual indicate a rough winter ahead.
Persimmon seeds: Are an old way of predicting winter weather. When you cut open a persimmon, the shape of the seed tells you if winter will be cold or mild. If it’s spoon-shaped, expect to shovel lots of snow.
Rooster: “If the rooster molts before the hen, we’ll have winter thick and thin.
If the hen molts before the cock, we’ll have winter hard as a rock.”
Snowfall: The date of the first snowflakes tells how many times it will snow. Should the year’s first snow, for example, come down on the 12th of the month, you can expect 12 more storms before the winter’s done.
The number of days from Christmas the first snowflakes fall will tell you how many times it will snow this winter.
The date of the first snowflakes plus the number of days past the new moon tells how many times it will snow this winter.
Squirrels: With very bushy tails in the fall foretell a colder winter. If squirrels stash their nuts high in the trees, the snow will be deep. “When squirrels early start to hoard, winter will pierce us like a sword.”
Weather: Thunder in the fall foretells a cold winter. If there is thunder in winter, it will snow seven days later.
Wild turkeys: Perching in trees and refusing to come down, snow is imminent. If turkey feathers are unusually thick, look for a hard winter.
Woolly bear caterpillar: Has long been a favorite of backyard weather predictors. The wider the brown band in the middle of the caterpillar, the milder the winter will be.