The Long Winter?

A friend of mine posted on Facebook the other day a picture of a waist-high ants' nest near his work.  In the comments below, someone noted that we may be in for a hard winter.  That caught my attention, because I swear the numerous geese around here are fleeing in droves!  Now I'm curious: are we in for a cold or snowy winter?

I am reminded of the beginning chapters of Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter, in which Laura and her family observe many signs in nature of the approaching record-breaking winter of 1880-81.  When I read The Long Winter as a child, I thought it was the most boring book in the series, but re-reading it as an adult is absolutely chilling, (pardon the pun.)  The family is starving and only keeps warm enough by huddling right up next to the stove.  It sounds like they had no insulation apart from boards!  I'll bet they wished for their old home in the creek bank!  And I have to wonder: didn't they see it coming?

Feeling curious, I looked up predictions for our coming winter.  Here's what Farmer's Almanac says for our area:

Annual Weather Summary: November 2013 to October 2014

Winter will be much snowier than normal, with frequent snows from mid-December through the first three weeks of January. Rainfall will be near normal, with temperatures below normal, on average, in the north and above in the south. The coldest periods will occur in mid- to late December, early to mid-January, and mid- to late January.  From: http://www.almanac.com/weather/longrange/WA/Everett

Hmm.  Sounds like we might not make it back to California for Christmas, but at least we won't be holed up twisting hay for fuel and sipping bean broth!

I looked up signs of winter.  Strangely, I found them listed as "folklore."  But I thought it was widely understood that nature could predict severe weather?  It makes sense to me, although I'm sure there are plenty of myths sprinkled in with true signs.  Here are some signs I found of harsh winter weather approaching:

Apparently black and brown woolly caterpillars show narrower bands of brown if winter is going to be cold.

Animals' fur gets thicker.  Duh.  That can't be an old wives' tale.

Squirrels and birds stock up.  

Acorns have thicker shells.  Does anyone have an oak tree nearby to check this?  One thing I really miss about leaving California is the stately, gnarled old oak trees.

Bees nest higher in trees.

Early bird migration.  Check.  I'm seeing that one!

Increased rodent activity in your house.  Eww.

Bigger pine cones and thicker corn husks, because, of course, the corn needs to save a few seeds from the hungry critters to re-seed in spring.

And Laura's Pa observed that beavers and muskrats make thicker lodges.

(From: http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2012/11/02/signs-of-winter-weather-14-folklore-predictions/)

Has anyone observed any of this around here?