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The Weather According to the Woolly Worm

Corey Davis

Apr 5, 2013

Winter 2012-13 Recap

Back in December, we released our winter outlook that included our own winter forecast and the predictions of the woolly worm, farmers’ almanacs, and two important global climate patterns. A little over three months later, the winter has now wrapped up, giving us a chance to review the winter and these predictions. ENSO’s Impacts (or…

Mar 12, 2013

CCMMS Students Return to Research at the SCO

For a few hours every week since October, the State Climate Office has welcomed two additional researchers: Miles Hunt and Maggie Loughlin, both eighth-grade students at Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School, who participated in the annual internship program now in its ninth year. Continuing in the tradition of past interns, Miles and Maggie each conducted…

Feb 6, 2013

Climate Summary: 2012 By the Numbers

Now that all the numbers are in, we have sense as to how 2012 fits into our climate history for North Carolina. The statewide average annual precipitation of 46.2 inches ranked as the 32nd driest since 1895, and the average temperature of 60.35°F ranked as the 6th warmest since 1895. Here are some other interesting…

Jan 30, 2013

Groundhog Day is On the Way

After much of North Carolina saw wintry weather in recent weeks, many folks must be wondering whether there is more snow and ice to come or if warmer weather is on the way. Weather folklore enthusiasts may get their answer on Saturday from the lowly groundhog. Here in North Carolina, our resident rodent is Sir…

Jan 22, 2013

Wind Chill Tells the Tale of Bitter Winter Conditions

For those cold winter days when the wind seems to bite at your skin, meteorologists have developed a way to quantify the hold that the cold has on you. The first wind chill estimates were created by Paul Siple and Charles Passel, two Antarctic researchers in the 1940s who measured the cooling rate of a…

Dec 17, 2012

Winter 2012-13 Outlook for North Carolina

Over the past two weeks, we have covered four different winter forecasting techniques, ranging from fun traditions (the woolly worm and farmers’ almanacs) to more robust science (predicting the NAO/AO and ENSO patterns). So what are these methods telling us about the 2012-13 winter? The Woolly Worm This year’s woolly worm predictions were made during…

Dec 10, 2012

Farmers’ Almanacs Use Centuries-Old Forecasting Formulas

This is part two in a four-part series highlighting different winter forecasting techniques. Could a black box in New Hampshire contain the secret to predicting winter weather? Adherents to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been published every year since 1792, might tell you that it does. But what exactly is inside this box, and…

Dec 7, 2012

The Weather According to the Woolly Worm

This is part one in a four-part series highlighting different winter forecasting techniques. What can a caterpillar tell us about the weather? Quite a lot, at least if you believe the folklore surrounding the woolly worm’s role in winter forecasting. But does this legend have legs? Let’s take a look at the story behind one…