What Kind of Winter Will You Have?

I live in New England and I have been hearing that it is going to be a long winter this year. I am curious as to who determines this, because as I look around my yard, I see squirrels burying acorns in my leach field and hornets that have made their nests in trees. These are not signs of a harsh winter, at least not the signs I've come to look for.

While my research has been brief, I haven't learned who made the statement referenced above, but I did learn this: According to our virtual U.S. Weather Bible, The Farmer's Almanac, 'Old Man Winter doesn't want to give up his frigid hold just yet, but his hold will mostly be in the middle of the country'. The frigid forecast we have been hearing about is targeting the midwest, not the NorthEast. This map on the Farmer's Almanac website shows their winter predictions:

As good as Farmer's Almanac is however at giving us our yearly winter predictions, I find that weather forecasting is still not an accurate science. I have included a story that I think illustrates this point with humor. Read and Enjoy!

It was October and the Indians on a remote reservation asked their new Chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Chief in a modern society he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. But being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter."

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find. Two weeks later the Chief called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy."

Author Unknown

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®