Back in the days before weather forecasters tried to predict what the weather was going to do, farmers used lore that was passed down from generation to generation. I don't know if all the predictions are factual or not. Has that groundhog ever been right? One prediction, that birds roosting together on telephone lines predict rain, is indeed true. I see it time and again. Another truism is that the moon will have a ring around it when rain is eminent.
The persimmon seed is said to predict winter weather. Wild persimmons grow in abundance around here; the deer love them. Late in fall, the fruit ripens and the seeds are easy to extrude. What does the persimmon seed say about this winter?
For a spoon, there will be lots of heavy, wet snow.
If the seed has a fork, the winter will be mild with light-powdery snow.
If you see a knife, there will be icy, cutting winds.
Looks like a spoon to me.
Here are a few other folklore forecasts:
When leaves fall early, autumn and winter will be mild; when leaves fall late, winter will be severe.
A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.
If September is hot (and it was here), look for a mild winter at first, but a very cold end to winter.
Warm falls are followed by cold winters.
