Winter forecast, part I: the woolley bear prediction According
to legend, the severity of the upcoming winter can be judged by
examining the pattern of brown and black stripes on woolly bear
caterpillars--the larvae of Isabella tiger moths. If the brown
stripe between the two black stripes on either end of the
caterpillar is thick, the winter will be a mild one. A narrow
brown stripe portends a long, cold winter. Some traditional
forecasters say that the 13 segments on the caterpillar's body
correspond to the 13 weeks of winter. The Hagerstown, Maryland
woolley bear forecast The Hagerstown, Maryland Town and Country
Almanack has been publishing weather forecasts and weather lore
for 211 years. The Almanack sponsors an annual woolly bear
caterpillar event, where local school children in Hagerstown
collect woolly bears. A panel of judges examines the collected
specimens and issues a woolly bear forecast for the upcoming
winter. The results of this year's contest, which ended October
31: "From the small number o