For the longest time, groundhogs were at the forefront of predicting the weather for the upcoming winter. It all depended on when they would poke their heads out. But there is one clever weather-predicting machine in nature. It has been around for some time—and these caterpillars are geniuses! All you have to do is ‘read’ their bodies (seriously).
Reading the Woolly Worm
Reading the creature is a specific process. It begins by breaking it down into segments. There should be 13 segments to match the 13 weeks of winter. You look at the color of every segment corresponding to that week. If it’s black—expect temperatures below average and snow. If it’s brown or amber – expect temperatures around the average for the season.
If they are light brown, that’s above average temperatures, and if it’s a combination or ‘fleck’ look, you can expect below-average temperature with frost. It’s incredible how nature works. Great work, caterpillar.
But Is it Really True?
The woolly worm races are huge in Avery Country, North Carolina, but can a tiny worm really predict the weather ahead? Some say yes, others are more skeptical.
But let’s look at some facts. However, an experiment was done where it was found that winters tended to be milder the more brown the worm had, and it’s not exactly scientific. There are many reasons why a worm is a particular color, and they can’t really be used to predict temperatures. They are definitely fun to race, though, and this is a secondary tradition for the little creepy crawlies.
The True Powers of Caterpillars
That doesn’t mean they don’t have other powers that make them just as special. For example, they curl up in a ball to ward off wasps. Now, that’s savvy!
They’re also fast and can survive in temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s impressive for a worm. Because of warmer winters, the population of the worms has decreased over the years, but there’s still plenty to go around, seeing as they were collected by the buckets for the annual races in North Carolina!
Whether you’re into the races just for fun or you really believe you can predict the winter ahead by reading the tiny caterpillars, it doesn’t make a difference. It’s still fun to gather around to try to see what winter will hold: cold temperature, snow, or frost. Groundhogs or worms, it’s all in the name of fun. Don’t expect these creatures to have predictive powers, but have fun hypothesizing about it!