Obviously, there hasn’t been a lot of wintry weather in the Ozarks so far in the latter part of 2015.
So many days with sun and 60-degree temperatures – there can’t be too many people complaining.
That’s a stark contrast from 2014, when a record was set in the region for the most days in November with high temperatures below 40 and December followed up as this dark, cold entity during which we almost never saw the sun and days often began with a thick freezing fog and played out with a solid low overcast.
But certainly, winter will pay a visit before long. And if the meteorological prognostication of a particular fruit is accurate, it will be for real when it does.
Yep, the persimmon predicts above average snowfall and colder than average temperatures and few warm spells in the Ozarks this winter. Of course, the fruity forecast is based on folklore that the seedling inside a persimmon being shaped like a spoon indicates above average snowfall, while a knife shape means colder than normal temperatures and a fork shape means warmer than average conditions.
An expert on the subject in Missouri collected fruit from persimmon trees in five counties and saw the spoon shape in 64-percent of examined seed samples, the knife shape in 17 percent and the fork in 19 percent. I guess persimmon science does seem to point toward a wintry winter.
Hmmm – maybe we shouldn’t believe the fruit. Let’s check with an insect.
According to folklore, not only can the persimmon predict weather, but the larvae of the Isabella tiger moth – a.k.a. wooly bear caterpillar or “wooly worm” – can, too. The method used is to go by the critter’s red-brown bands; if they’re narrow, the winter will be harsh and if they’re wide, the winter will be mild.
Well, not surprisingly, we have a disagreement. A prominent online wooly worm weather expert says consulted caterpillars’ bands indicate a warm-ish winter for most of the Midwest, including the Show Me State.
Hmmm – based on the past several weeks, I’m thinking the worm might be onto something.
Then again, there’s yet another way to gauge the outlook of a coming winter.
So in an attempt to break the stalemate, let’s check in with the dog.
Lesser-known folklore indicates that if the fur of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi accumulates under furniture on the west side of a home, winter is likely to be long, cold and snowy. But if it gathers under stuff on the east side, things will probably be warmer and wetter.
Dang it. Fur coming from the back (and front and sides and underbelly) of Gertie (the Permapup) is piling up in all sectors of the house – east, west, north and south.
That can only mean one thing for the upcoming winter: Record snow, hurricane-force winds, record high temperatures, major flooding, drought, weeks on end with highs below zero and a two-day stretch of pleasant conditions with highs in the low 60s.
Hmmm – maybe we should check with the cat.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.