It’s no surprised that we’re obsessed with winter. That’s why every fall we scour the internet for weather reports and predictions about the upcoming winter.

But mother nature has other ways of letting us know whats in store for winter and in the days before smartphone apps, people looked to the signs of nature to prepare.  First posted in 1978 and still relevant today, here are the 20 signs of a hard winter. 

20 Signs of a Hard Winter According to Folklore

1. Thicker than normal corn husks
2. Woodpeckers sharing a tree
3. Early arrival of the Snowy owl
4. Early departure of geese and ducks
5. Early migration of the Monarch butterfly
6. Thick hair on the nape (back) of the cow’s neck
7. Heavy and numerous fogs during August
8. Raccoons with thick tails and bright bands
9. Mice eating ravenously into the home
10. Early arrival of crickets on the hearth
11. Spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers
12. Pigs gathering sticks
13. Insects marching in a line rather than meandering
14. Early seclusion of bees within the hive
15. Unusual abundance of acorns
16. Muskrats burrowing holes high on the river bank
17. “See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest”
18. The orange band on the Woollybear (or Woollyworm) caterpillar: a narrow orange band warns of heavy snow; fat and fuzzy caterpillars presage bitter cold.
19. The squirrel gathers nuts early to fortify against a hard winter
20. Frequent halos or rings around the Sun or Moon forecast numerous snow falls.