Maybe it's human nature - but people have always looked for signs and portents of what the weather will be like in the upcoming season.

Reports have it that the latest Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a severe winter, says Mary Knapp, climatologist for Kansas. But the Climate Prediction Center outlook has the odds tilted towards a milder than normal winter in Kansas.

Knapp, who runs the Kansas Weather Data Library based at Kansas State (K-State) University, says, “One folk tale you might want to be aware of this year: For every day with fog in August there will be a snowfall in the winter. With Wichita and Salina both reporting 12 days with fog, it will be interesting to see if we have 12 snow events this year.”

Information about Kansas weather is available at Weather Data Library. “Weather Wonders” audio reports are available on the K-State Research and Extension.