New York is facing a harsh and snowy winter, we know

Stop the balers and get your snow blower, plow and shovels ready! New York State is in for a harsh and snowy winter season, you can count on that! We have several talented meteorologists in the Empire State, but it's unlikely we'll hear that on the evening news tonight. This prediction comes from one completely black woolly worm caterpillar!

Do you know what a woolly worm is? You could call it the woolly bear caterpillar or, as I learned from Hamilton College, Pyrrharctia isabella. These little weather forecasters usually start showing up in New York State in large numbers starting in October, and from what I saw yesterday, there are going to be a lot of snow days for your kids this season.

According to the almanac, the woolly worm's ability to predict winter weather depends entirely on the creature's appearance. To me they always look the same, with their black head and tail framing the rust-colored midsection. The prediction is made based on how much black or how much rust there is on this year's caterpillar.

If their rust area is wide, it will be a mild winter. The more black there is, the harsher the winter. Check out this picture taken on October 22nd. What does this tell us?

I've never seen a completely black woolworm caterpillar! Enjoy the 70 degree days in October. Mountains of snow and icy temperatures are coming, you can count on that.

The dates when New York State typically experiences its first snowstorm