How Snowy Will Missouri Winter Be? Secret is in the Morning Fog

As I was crossing the Mississippi River this morning from Missouri into Illinois, the fog was oppressive. I could barely see 50 feet in front of my vehicle and that reminded me of folklore about how the secret of how snowy the upcoming winter will be is hidden in the fog.

I doubt the National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri will adopt this old-fashioned approach to winter weather forecasting, but there are many that believe still that the number of foggy early mornings can be a foreshadowing of what is coming.

Farmer's Almanac echoes this long-held belief in Missouri that if you count the number of foggy mornings in Missouri from August through the end of October, you'll know exactly how many snow storms will impact that winter. Many old-timers believe that is the way you can tell if you're in for a bad winter coming or not.

I just saw a Facebook post by Farmer's Almanac that has another twist on this fog/snow belief. It says that for every foggy morning in October, a snow in December. If that's true, look out. I drive over the Mississippi River from Missouri to Illinois and back again every day and I've seen at least a half dozen foggy mornings. Does this mean I should find my snow shovel and make sure it's in great condition?