Frosty’s coming

I have a bold prediction to make. The weather apps and television stations say differently, but I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that snow is coming over the next several days to the Northeast.

And maybe everywhere else too — even places that never get snow.

Count on it. Trust me I know. A high of 50 or 51 (Fahrenheit) for Philadelphia and Baltimore and the mid-40s for Boston and New York City expected for Wednesday? Pleeeease! Give me a break. By the end of the day, snow will be coming by the bucket loads. It’s going to look like a shaken-up snow globe. Frosty the Snowman will be on every street corner and neighborhood.

How can I be so certain?

Pennsylvania farmers hold their annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg from January 10–17. The event celebrates the state’s agriculture industry. It’s the largest indoor agricultural event held in the United States. At least that’s what the organization’s press release says. The annual event attracts over half a million visitors.

And most years the show gets rocked with snow.

Someone who would know

It’s so bad that the farmer who I worked with each summer when I was kid used to say that he would’ve been a billionaire if he could have bet on the inch count each January. And the man was no bettor. I don’t think he bet on anything else in his life.

The mere image of him in his flannel shirt and suspenders walking around a casino flashing with lights and noise is kind of laughable. But I tell you snow is coming. It’s like clockwork. Snow comes every year the farm show is held. You can schedule your clock to it. (And it hasn’t snowed yet this week!)

Fake news

Now in an effort to be truthful, I admit that a Harrisburg TV station went back and looked at archived National Weather Service data. They found that most Farm Shows over the past century have had measurable snow less than 20 percent of the time!

Phooey, what do they know? As The Wizard of Oz says, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Despite that, here’s a few old superstitions and beliefs that were passed down to me that help predict snow and ice cold temperatures:

–You can smell snow. Science even backs me up on this one. When snow is on its way, we can oftentimes smell the changes in humidity, air pressure, and temperature. Subtle scents become more noticeable or create distinct sensations like the sharp smell of ozone or earthy geosmin, signaling an impending storm.

–I’ve scheduled something. Snow has a way of coming when you least want it. The surest way to bring on the white stuff, schedule an important event!

–You wash or clean the salt off your car. Mother Nature knows how to push our buttons. She’s a funny one.

–The seal has been broken. We got snow in early December. The seal has been broken. We’re sure to get a weekly crush of the stuff from now until late March. The later the first storm, the better. With the first out of the way, we’re doomed.

Snowmageddon is coming!