Last Updated on October 18, 2026 10:39 am
BANNER ELK — Wally, the winning woolly worm at this year’s Woolly Worm Festival, is calling for a cold and snowy start to winter.
Festival officials released the champion’s prediction after the race. Wally’s coat is read one segment at a time, with each segment matching a week of winter.
Wally’s 13-week forecast
According to the festival’s reading, Wally’s first segment is black, which stands for below-average temperatures and snow in week 1. Weeks 2 and 3 are amber, which points to average temperatures. Week 4 is a fleck, a mix of colors that signals below-average temperatures with snow or frost.
Weeks 5 through 12 are all amber, so the prediction calls for average temperatures through the heart of winter. Week 13 is a fleck again, which means a chilly finish.
| Week | Worm color | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Black | Below-average temps and snow |
| Week 2 | Amber | Average temps (20°–40°) |
| Week 3 | Amber | Average temps (20°–40°) |
| Week 4 | Fleck | Below average, with snow or frost |
| Weeks 5–12 | Amber | Average temps (20°–40°) |
| Week 13 | Fleck | Below average, with snow or frost |
How to read a woolly worm
The festival’s key assigns a meaning to each color. Black means below-average temperatures and snow. Dark brown means below-average temperatures. Amber means average temperatures of 20° to 40°. Light brown means above-average temperatures. A fleck, or mix of colors, means below-average temperatures with snow or frost.
Each segment of the winning woolly worm corresponds with that week of winter.
Whether the forecast holds up is anyone’s guess, but folks in the High Country will be watching the sky. Do you trust Wally’s forecast?
Photos and prediction courtesy of the Woolly Worm Festival.
