Groundhogs: Each February 2, Americans wait for groundhog Punxsutawney Phil to predict whether we will have six more weeks of winter or an early spring.

Here are some of the other animals and insects that people believe have weather-predicting abilities: Woolly worms aren't the only creatures that people look to for information about the weather, though. Instead, they note that the color and size of a woolly worm's bands are likely affected by several factors, including availability of food, conditions during development, age, and species. Scientists who have tested woolly worms' predictions have found that there is no correlation between woolly worms' bands and winter weather. In addition to caterpillar races, these festivals also usually feature an official declaration of the woolly worm's prediction for the coming winter.īut how accurate are woolly worms at predicting the weather? As it turns out, they're not so accurate.

There are several towns in the United States that hold annual woolly worm festivals each fall. The wider the red-brown band is, the milder the coming winter is supposed to be. People who believe woolly worms can predict the weather think that a narrow red-brown band means a harsh winter. In the spring, they complete their transformation into Isabella tiger moths.

They have black bands at each end with a red-brown band in the middle.Įach autumn, woolly bear caterpillars take shelter under leaves and other low-lying vegetation. Woolly worms get their name from their fuzzy appearance. They are known by various names, including woolly bear caterpillars, banded woolly bears, fuzzy bears, and black-ended bears. Woolly worms are actually the larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth ( Pyrrharctia Isabella). Is there any truth to this belief? Or is it an old wives' tale? Is it going to be a harsh winter? Or will it be mild? How can you tell?ĭo you rely on the almanac? Or do you turn to woolly worms?įor many, many years, legend has held that woolly worms can predict whether the coming winter will be mild or harsh.

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