All my life I’ve heard the number of fogs in August = the number of big snows we’ll have in the winter. This summer’s abundant rain has caused there to be PLENTY of foggy mornings so far this August.
I never remember to mark the fogs on a calendar-but Granny usually does. It’ll be interesting to see if all this wet weather sticks around for winter in the form of snow.
Tipper
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Tipper,
Glad you posted this, I haven’t heard about the fog foretelling snow before. Although, I have heard that the first heavy fog you have in August will be the first day of frost in October. I try to look every year and sometimes it actually happens.
That WILL be interesting! The Almanac says it’s going to be a cold one in NC and every wooly worm we’ve seen so far has been all black, a sure sign of a bad winter according to our maternal Grandmother. Well, we’ll see, won’t we!!!
God bless.
RB
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I’ve heard this Tipper, and wish I had remembered to mark the foggy mornings on my calendar this year too. But we’ve had so many fogs, it would almost be easier to mark the days without fog…that said, looks like it’s going to be a snowy winter!
I sure like that Swallowtail Jig!!
hey there miss cindy — i haven’t heard any of these folklore facts, so this was fun to read.
Hope to hook up with all of you again at the festival — me and the crusty old guy will be there.
hugs and love to all of you.
B-let us know what she forecasts when the papers print it : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
I don’t know anything about snails predicting the weather here in the mountains.
B-Clint is from Cincinnati, OH so he sees a LOT of snow every winter : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
I also have heard that the number of fogs in summer can predict the number of snows in winter. In a lot of ways fogs are neat! Remember that poem “Fog” by Carl Sandburg? He gave it a life of its own.
FOG
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Tamela-thank you for all the comments! I cant think of any snail folklore but if I do Ill be sure to share it : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
P.S. – when my husband was stationed in Virginia, one of my favorite things to do was to drive up to Skyline Drive – especially when it was foggy. One baby snuggled in a backpack, one baby cuddled into a front pack, and off we’d go to explore a trail. On those foggy days, they always seemed to sleep the entire hike.
I have no concept of locations and distances mentioned, but maybe, come the end of August, you can get a photo of that bean jar in Mars Hill and another picture come next summer. . . .
We’ve had masses of snails crawling up trees last year and this – I’d wtinessed verification that the height to which they climbed indicated the height of flood waters coming. However, last year, although we did have some showers, we didn’t get much rain as the drought continues.
Now, the snails are climbing again – – false hope? . . . .
Any folklore about the snails in Appalachia?
Tipper,
Could I ask…Where is Clint from?
A big snow for us here in East Tennessee is five or six inches…
A “skif” is on the grass with the sprigs and leaves showing thru..
A school shutting down snow is an ice covered road under the snow, either a “skif” or “big snow”…
A “cozy-up and cuddle” snow is the one where you can stay in the corner of the couch with the curtains wide open. The snow starting on Friday night, knowing all and everyone is home, warm and stocked up with bread and milk and chili fixin’s..
Thanks Tipper,
Tipper,
I’ve heard about the fogs of August
all my life, but never paid much
attention to it. Whatever comes I’ll
be glad its here, and glad to see it
go. The Good Lord gave us 4 seasons
for a reason, although my favorite
is Fall…Ken
Tipper,
I think it’s gonna snow this Fall and Winter! Cause we had fog in July and August! I love the morning fog, except that we have children and grandchildren on the road to work and school so early in the mornings…Worrisome, especially if you hear the dreaded sirens echoing across our hill and the coyotes wailing with it….Of course, once you have ridden in one with a loved one you realize and pray every time one sounds off in the distance down the highway!
I haven’t seen a Wooly bear catapiller since early spring. I don’t know why he showed up that early…He was all amberish red…so that was a mild winter for his prediction, however, I think he had just rolled out of bed from spending a mild previous winter and had not eaten enough or woke up enough to begin to predict this coming winter….
Haven’t heard from out Weather Witch on the mountain so far…Soon the paper will do their weather prediction story based on her precictions…Fun!
Right on sometimes, off sometimes but more right than wrong!
Thanks Tipper,
Always love the weather posts!
Tipper–For goodness sake don’t tell Al Gore, but to my way of thinking our mountain ancestors knew a great deal when it came to weather wisdom and other practical aspects of everyday life. After all, they lived close to the good earth, understood its rhythms as few of us do today, and observations such as this were significant to their lives. I’ve written a lot on weather wisdom over the years, and the subject is a fascinating one. Generally speaking, I’m convinced there’s a lot to the old sayings and prognostication.
Jim Casada
better get your union suits/long johns ready!
Tipper:
There is a ‘weather expert’ who lives down on the Cumberland Plateau and she depends on the number of spider webs made on the ground during August to determine the number of snows we will have in the winter.
If she sees LOTS OF SPIDER WEBS ON THE GROUND SHE SAYS THAT INDICATES LOTS OF SNOWS WILL BE FALLING! This seems to be a ‘scientific’ and satisfactory method according to our ‘weather men’ on TV and RADIO over in Knoxville!
Eva Nell
I heard an old timer talking about the animals eating everything in sight this year and how that has always predicted our winters. If that is true, we will have record breaking snows here in KY.
Mama commented in August on each and every fog. I don’t recall that she counted them or linked them to a winter snow. And, I hope our fogs this month don’t predict a snowy winter. Seems I saw a chart, probably on Ray’s Weather, comparing rainy summers to winter snows. The first didn’t appear to have much effect on the second.
For me, it is an awesome sight to view an early morning fog. It wraps around the trees and bushes. I know it is an inconvenience for those off for the day, but when it lifts and the new day has begun it gives me a warm feeling of being alive for a new day.
Interesting . . . we’ve been having fog. If only I would remember to mark it down.
It makes you wonder what winter will be like with a mild summer. We never hit a 100 yet this year and only 14 days in the 90’s.
I haven’t heard that one. Thanks for sharing it.
LOL! Much less than what constitutes a big snow for you : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
I’m pretty sure I’ve read that this belief comes from the Cherokee. Town and Country Hair Fashions, here in Mars Hill, has a practice where they place a bean in a jar every time it’s foggy in August . . . and remove a bean from the jar every time it snows in winter. From what they have told me, it’s accurate every year up to a bean or two.
I’ve heard the same thing, Tipper. And if it is true, we’re in for a very snowy winter. I think we have had a foggy morning every day so far this month.
I have heard that too but I hope it’s not true!
What constitutes a ‘big snow?’
I was talking to a friend recently who wondered if this wet weather would carry into winter. We would have a lot of snow if it does. It’s been a while since we had a lot of snow…..Personally, I’d just a soon we not have a “lot” of snow. But, as usual, I’ll take whatever comes. LOL!
Keep us updated on this, I tried to follow it one year when I stayed for the winter, but like you I never remembered.
I recall a summer when it rained everyday. Those sudden dark cloudbursts with huge drops that pounded down. Day after day, everyday. So predictable that they no longer surprised us.
That summer was followed by the Big Blizzard of 1993.