Sure, we could just rely on super high tech meteorological equipment to tell us what the weather will be like... or we could just use caterpillars.

For several years we've reached out to Steve Gottschalk, a local man with a unique talent. Steve, AKA The Caterpillar Man, can predict the weather just by using woolly bears and lunar phases. As weird as it sounds, he's as accurate as the meteorologists on TV.

This is Steve's 41st year watching woolly bears and the 46 reports he took say they're predicting a colder and snowier winter. Then there are the spiders, he's seen a large number trying to get indoors which is a sign of a colder winter. Those two factors, along with a greater number of crickets, indicate a winter that will be snowier than normal.

The Caterpillar Man also noticed that squirrels have been busier than usual burying acorns, that also means winter will be cold and snowy.

Taking a look at the lunar phases gives a more detailed forecast month-by-month. Here's what Steve found:

December weather:

  • 2nd – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 7th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 9th-10th - Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 12th – Mild, rain, windy.
  • 15th-16th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 22nd-24th – Cold, snow, windy.
  • 29th – Milder, rain/snow, windy.
  • Cold spells will be December 17th-21st, 24th-25th, 30th-31st.
    Any storms of 5" or more of snow would be the week of the New Moon (7th-13th).

January weather:

  • 5th-6th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 8th – Cold, snow, windy.
  • 13th-14th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 19th-21st – Cold, snow, windy
  • 25th-27th – Cold, snow, windy.
  • 30th-31st – Cold, snow, windy.
  • Cold Spells: 16th-18th, 20th, 23rd, 26th-31st.
    Storms of 6" or more would be during the week of the Last Quarter (1st-4th and 27th-31st).

February Weather:

  • 1st-3rd – Colder, snow, windy.
  • 4th-5th – Milder, rain/snow, windy.
  • 9th – Variable temps, windy.
  • 12th – Cold, snow, windy
  • 16th-17th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 19th – Cold, snow, wind.
  • 22nd – Milder, rain, windy.
  • 26th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • Cold Spells: 1st-3rd, 12th, 15th-16th.
    Any storms of 6" or more would be the week of the Full Moon (19th-25th).

March Weather:

  • 1st-2nd – Cold, rain/snow, windy.
  • 4th-6th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 8th – Cold, snow, windy.
  • 14th-16th – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 19th-21st – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • 28th-31st – Variable temps, rain/snow, windy.
  • Storms of 6" or more snow would be during the week of the Last Quarter (1st-5th and 28th-31st).

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