✉news ScienceScience first seen 14 h ago, last 14 h ago, peak #32
Woolly bear caterpillars spark winter forecast debate
Original: Woolly Bear says mild? The science behind our winter watch
Forecasters are revisiting the folk claim that the width of a woolly bear caterpillar's brown band predicts how harsh the coming winter will be. Meteorologists say the woolly worm's coloring does not hold up as a reliable seasonal indicator, and instead point to established climate signals such as sea-surface temperatures and large-scale weather patterns when weighing whether the winter ahead will be mild or severe.
Why now: A local news station framed its winter outlook around the popular woolly bear legend, drawing interest as cold season approaches.
Evidence
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