There are 13 segments to a Woolly Worm and 13 weeks of winter. Wide black stripes mean a bad winter, whereas a wide brown stripe in the middle means a mild winter.Īccording to mountain folklore, the annual Woolly Worm race predicts snowfall. The story is that by looking at the stripes on the larvae, the amount of black determines how severe the winter weather will be. If the caterpillar has more orange, then the winter will be mild. What does a black and orange Wooly worm mean?Īs folklore goes, you need to look at the orange and black bands on this tiny creature -the more black a woolly bear has, the worse off the winter. Winter snowfallWhite (sand-colored): White woolly worms are said to predict winter snowfall.

The more black there is, the more severe the winter. If their rusty band is wide, then it will be a mild winter. Woolly bear caterpillars-also called woolly worms-have a reputation for being able to forecast the coming winter weather. Woolly worms, also known as banded woolly bears, are made of thirteen abdominal segments. These one and half-inch animals are one of the 11,000 moth species that belong to the Arctiidae family.

What Is A Woolly Worm The fussy creatures are caterpillars that will turn into the Isabella tiger moths when they are around 6 months old. If the worm has a wider band, there’s a milder winter coming.

If the band on the worm is narrow, it will be a harsh winter. When using wooly bear caterpillars, better known as wooly worms, to predict the weather, tradition says the width of the brown band on the worm is key, according to KSPR. How does the Wooly Worm color predict winter weather? In case you didn’t know, folklore says that thin brown bands on the woolly worms means a harsh winter is coming, wider brown banded woolly worms mean a mild winter, nearly black woolly worms means a severe winter is coming, and finally the very light brown or white woolly worms mean a snowy winter according to the folklore. What does a brown and black wooly worm mean?

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