The approach was handed down to Burleson from former worm readers, who, in turn, learned it from generations before them. The foremost segment corresponds with the first week of winter the tail-end segment corresponds with the last. To read a worm, you start near the head and move backward from there. And then if you have ‘fleck,’ which is a band that has a combination of brown and black: That’s going to be below-average temperatures with frost or maybe a little bit of ice in the morning.” If it’s a light brown, that’s above-average temperatures. Here in Avery County, that’s about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s what we call ‘amber,’ which is a dark brown, temperatures are going to be right around average. “If the segment is black, that’s going to be below-average temperatures with snow. Those are the 13 weeks of winter,” Burleson says. “In reading the worm, you break it down into 13 segments. The winning woolly worm caterpillar ( Pyrrharctia isabella) gets the honor of predicting the weather for the winter to come.Ĭreative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images The method, he explains, is very specific. That’s not surprising he’s been the festival’s official “worm reader” for the past 30 years. But the caterpillar myth has been one of the most persistent, and it’s certainly the only one with serious competition behind it.īut is there any truth to it? How to read a wormĪsk Tommy Burleson if the caterpillars’ predictions have merit, and his answer is an emphatic yes. August fog means a snowy winter, and low beehives portend a blizzard. The tradition runs deep, and the stakes are high: The winning human gets a $1,000 prize, and the winning woolly worm caterpillar ( Pyrrharctia isabella) gets the honor of predicting the weather for the winter to come.įolk traditions are common in this part of the country. The creepy-crawly contest is at the center of the annual Woolly Worm Festival, a fiercely popular local event that’s been going on for nearly half a century. Winners from each heat qualify for the semifinals, with semifinal winners facing off in the finals.Last weekend, thousands of people flooded into a tiny town in North Carolina to watch caterpillars race. The races take place in heats, with worms racing up vertical strings on the main stage, inching their way to the finish line. Those wishing to race a woolly worm may bring their own or purchase one from the local PTO for a small fee. However, the fact that every worm has different color patterns created a conundrum for the editor, so the festival was born to designate the official weather prognosticator. Brown bands indicate mild weather, while black bands indicate cold, snowy conditions. The festivities date to 1978 when a magazine editor wanted to publish a forecast based on the legend that the 13 fur bands on a woolly worm foretell the severity of winter’s 13 weeks. “The races really make it a unique event.” “Last year we had someone drive all the way from Indianapolis, Indiana, to race their worm,” said Kathy Boone, the festival’s chairperson. Saturday’s winning worm also receives $1,000, while Sunday’s champion wins $500. Races are held both days, with Saturday’s winner getting the honor of forecasting the winter weather in North Carolina’s High Country. The festival is known worldwide for its quirky mission of conducting races among woollybear caterpillars, known locally as woolly worms. Banner Elk, NC – Banner Elk’s famed Woolly Worm Festival celebrates its 41st year the weekend of October 20-21.
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