Wondering What Kind of Winter Lies Ahead? Check Out Tried and True Ozarks Weather Wisdom!

Friday, November 30, 2012
After being battered by a hot, dry summer that turned into the worst drought in decades, folks in the Ozarks are enjoying a beautiful respite in the form of a lovely autumn in which the beauty of the Ozarks' fall foliage is lasting weeks longer than usual.
Unusual weather is almost normal for those who live in this magnificent part of the U.S. In fact, generations ago, our ancestors became very adept at foretelling various weather phenomena based upon signs that, with time and persistent observation, proved to be amazingly accurate. It may not be awash in scientific bases, but why would anyone choose to read stuffy scientific data on weather trends, when we have a colorful, interesting, sometimes humorous, and totally Ozarks methodology to study?
So, without further adieu, may we present: Ozarks Weather Predictions That Are 100% Accurate; And If Not Accurate Today, It Probably Will Be Tomorrow...
*If you want to determine the amount of rainfall to expect in the coming year, do the following on either Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve: Between 11:00 pm and midnight, gather 12 onions and place them on a table or counter top in an east-to-west line. Cut the top off each onion, then scoop out a small amount from the cut side of each onion. To this small, scooped-out area, add one-fourth teaspoon of salt. Do not look at the onions again until the next morning. After sunrise the next morning, examine the onions. You will find that a small amount of liquid has accumulated within the scoop-out area of each onion, and that the liquid is not equal in amount in each onion.
* The onions which contain the most liquid represent the months that will have wetter weather in the coming year.
* Ring Around the Moon: When you see a ring around the moon, count the number of stars that lie within the circle of the ring. This number will correspond to the number of days that will pass until the next bout of precipitation.
* Predicting the First Frost: As spring and summer come along, listen for the first song of the katydids. The first hard frost will occur exactly 90 days hence.

Predicting Snowfall
* Count the number of foggy mornings that occur in the month of August. This number will correspond exactly with the number of snows that will occur in the coming winter.
* If the month of August slipped by without a record of the foggy mornings being notated, take heart. Simply notate the date of the first snow and then count the number of days between the first snow date and Christmas. This will give you the number of snowfalls remaining for the winter.
* A little known fact in the scientific community is that when piles, or drifts, of snow lie in the shade and refuse to go away, these very piles act as "snow breeders" and cause additional snow to fall.
* A white Christmas means a green Easter (and vice versa).
* When moss grows on the south side of trees, expect a harsh winter. The harshness of the winter is directly proportionate to the quantity of moss growing on the south side of trees.
* Fruit Trees blooming twice in one year is a definite sign of an upcoming harsh winter;
* When rabbits make their dens in thick brush piles, expect a severe winter.
* An abundance of acorns and other nuts by trees is a sure sign that a harsh winter is coming.

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