True or false? The higher the pine cones, the harsher the winter
The Weather Network's Victoria Fenn Alvarado holds old weather lore up to the facts in search of the truth.
The higher the pine cones, the harsher the winter.
Have you ever heard this weather lore before?
According to the lore, when trees sense a brutal winter coming, they grow their cones higher up. Why? So birds and animals can still reach them—even when the snow piles up high.
This makes sense… in theory.
But here’s what horticulturists say:
The height of pine cones isn’t about snow—it’s about strategy.
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Many pine species grow their cones higher to give seeds the best chance to travel far when they drop. It's about spreading the next generation, not about predicting the weather.
This pine cone weather lore is just one branch, though (pun intended).
Another theory is that the cones act as a rain gauge.
Some say if pine cones are tightly closed, rain is coming. If they're open, the weather will stay dry.
This one’s partially true! Pine cones do react to humidity—when it's dry, the scales open to release seeds. When it's wet or rain is coming, they close up to protect themselves. So this bit of lore has real science behind it.
So can we really rely on the pine cones to predict the weather?
As far as myths go—these ones have charm, but we can’t really count on the cones' accuracy.
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(Header image courtesy of JSABBOTT/Getty Images)