Douglas: Strong winds, showery rains expected next week

I keep trying to read the tea leaves. Aunt Mabel’s bunions often act up before a storm (I wish she’d call me when that happens). People with arthritis and recent bone breaks can feel more discomfort when air pressure is falling rapidly ahead of a storm, but weather models still do a better job, however imperfect.

Pyrrharctia isabella, the woolly bear caterpillar, makes news every fall with its brown and black bands. Sorry, there is no scientific evidence that a woolly bear’s markings can predict the coming winter. The band widths and colors mainly reflect the caterpillar’s age and how it grew earlier that season, according to NOAA. No shortcuts, I’m afraid.

A La Niña watch is posted for the winter; a cooler Pacific Ocean could lead to a colder winter for many northern tier states, including Minnesota. A low-confidence forecast.