Wild weather portends early fall, winter

The oldtimers in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains know more about the weather than the professional forecasters.

Because of the spring floods in the Midwest and unseasonably cool weather into June, crops are behind. The corn isn't silking land tasseling on time. Farmers need a warm fall to get a late harvest out of the ground.

August rain and tornados, as we've had in the last two weeks, with temperatures at night dipping down into the 40s in the Rockies, portend snow in September and freezing by early October, according to local lore. Freezing is not all bad--that's how the insects like grasshoppers and bark beetles get their larvae killed, and when the winter's warm, they survive and have a big summer.

This weather pattern, if it develops, is the opposite of what farmers and ranchers need, to get the maximum production out of late-blooming crops and fall grazing. For ranchers to have to start feeding hay early is very costly, and can lead to shortages before the winter is over.

Just as the professional forecasters refuse to stand by their predictions, oldtimers won't guarantee theirs either. Take your pick, as to what kind of fall and winter we're going to have.

There's a 50% chance you'll be right.