woolly worm
A fuzzy caterpillar folks use to guess how hard winter will be.
Also called woolly bear, wooly worm.
Updated September 24, 2026
woolly worm pronunciation
/WOOL-ee WURM/
Meaning
The brown-and-black caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, also called a woolly bear elsewhere. In Appalachian talk, especially in the North Carolina mountains, people read its bands like a winter forecast: more black means a rough winter, more brown means milder weeks. Banner Elk even races woolly worms every October and crowns a winner for the High Country prediction. Science says the colors track age and growth more than weather, but the lore still travels porch to porch.
How folks use it
- “That woolly worm's mostly black. Better stack extra firewood.”
- “We're headed to Banner Elk for the woolly worm races.”
Origin and etymology
Folk name for the Isabella tiger moth larva. Mountain people in Appalachia long treated the band colors as a winter omen. The Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival has raced them for the official High Country forecast since the late 1970s. Outside the region the same bug is often called a woolly bear.
Frequently asked questions
Can a woolly worm really predict winter?
Folklore says yes. Weather folks say the bands mostly show how the caterpillar grew, not next January. Mountain talk still trusts the worm.