Does the width of the red hair on a wooly caterpillar predict a snowy winter?

Question

I'm not sure if the name is wooly bear caterpillar? It's those black hairy caterpillars that usually have black hair at the ends with red hairs in the middle. I cannot recall whether the width of those red hairs in relation to the black hairs supposedly predicts what kind of weather to expect in the winter?

Answer 1

I think that one is a myth... an old wives tale as they say ...

Ben Franklin first understood winter severity when he noticed a corelation between volcanic activity in the Pacific (as reported by ships) and the snow depths the following winter. Today, this also is understood to correspond to the 'El Nino' too. It depends where you live. If you are in Northeast America, I am betting on a heavy winter this year.

Answer 2

I recall my late mother claiming this as a great winter predictor, and as 'teens in the '50's, my brother and I spent days searching out the 'woolly bears'... we made sure to find all the odd ones, all black, all red/orange...small black on both ends.. half red and half black etc etc...which we then presented to Mother who promptly got quite annoyed with us as her source of information had been ruined... So, does it mean anything?? I doubt it!

Answer 3

Actually it can tell you what weather we are having at the moment.
Hair thickness is probably a reactive, not predictive,
process,

Answer 4

It has been said more blk colorin on them little fellows indicates more winter we will have say if it blk red blk means snow - cold , mild, snow- cold solid blk means bad winter...Of course this is wot farmers use to rely on

Answer 5

it could be... The catep. could be growing longer hair because of the extinct