The weather trends have changed during the past few years and that fact was evident this summer. Storms that built up didn’t move and some communities got slammed with rainstorms that just sat there and dropped 3-5 inches.

Snowstorms, of course, will not be as localized as summer rains but if low pressure systems develop they just might be slow movers, too. This winter I think the Piedmont of Virginia and North Carolina as well as the mountains of West Virginia and Pennsylvania will be bombarded by East Coast storms containing plenty of Gulf moisture.

Yes, I know meteorologists predicted that last year and it didn’t happen. I was skeptical and predicted an easy winter. I was right and they – as well as the Farmers’ Almanac – were wrong. I think I will be right again this year.

As for the Farmers’ Almanac, it always predicts a hard winter so you really can’t go by that. You have to build your winter forecast on scientific facts and proven principles.

Like foggy mornings in August. The old people always said that there would be one snow for every foggy morning in August and usually that prediction is pretty close to the mark.

This year we had seven foggy mornings in August so that means at least seven snows (of varying degrees) this winter.

Then there is the science of the wooly worms and this year the ones I have seen appear to be wearing parkas already.