BAD: Is it going to be a bad winter? Farmers’ Almanac has a list of signs, first published in 1978, that still holds true today.

The first is thicker than normal onion skins or corn husks. Store-bought ones don’t count, because they may not be grown locally.

More signs — Woodpeckers sharing a tree. Early arrival of the snowy owl. The early departure of geese and ducks. The early migration of the Monarch butterfly. Thick hair on the nape of a cow’s neck.

Heavy and numerous fog events during August. “Folklore says the number (of fog events) will correspond to the number of snowstorms the coming winter.”

Raccoons with thick tails and bright bands. Mice chewing furiously to get in your home. The early arrival of crickets on the hearth.

This next one is a bit spooky — Spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in greater numbers. Yikes!

Pigs gathering sticks. Ants marching in a line rather than meandering. Early seclusion of bees within the hive. Unusual abundance of acorns. Muskrats burrowing holes high on the river bank.

“See how high the hornet’s nest, ’twill tell how high the snow will rest.”

The size of the orange band on the Wooly Bear caterpillar. A narrow band means a snowy winter. A fuzzier-than-normal caterpillar is said to mean winter will be very cold.

Squirrels gathering nuts early to fortify against a harsh winter.

Frequent halos around the sun or moon forecasts numerous snowfalls, Farmers’ Almanac says.

How will this winter be? Some forecasts say milder than average and warmer than normal, while others predict frequent storms in a cold and snowy winter.

The cold may arrive as soon as September.