Some of the other natural indicators are showing pretty much the same thing - long, hard winter.
We had serious problems with the mice this fall and had a terrible time getting rid of them...and the wooly bear caterpillars had very little black on either end. Both of those are supposed to mean a cold winter.
However, the good news is that the Farmer's Almanac says that ...well, this is what it says for the Appalachians:
"November through January will be mild, with little snow and milder-than-normal temperatures, but by the end of March, winter will be remembered for above-normal snowfall and below-normal temperatures, on average, especially in the south. The coldest periods will be mid-December, mid-January, and from late February through mid-March. The heaviest snowfalls will occur in early, mid-, and late February and early and mid-March."
And this for the Atlantic Corridor:
"November through mid-February will not be too severe, but cold temperatures and heavy snow in late winter will mean a colder- and snowier-than-normal season. The coldest temperatures will be in mid-December, with other cold periods in mid-November, early and mid-January, and from late February until the first day of spring. Significant snowfalls will occur in mid-December, early and late February, and early March."
