Winter is here and we can expect snow and icy conditions at anytime. They are calling for a storm on Friday, December 23rd with temperatures dropping from 50 into the teens in a matter of hours. So how do we know exactly how cold it's going to be.

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It's easy to tell now with weather apps, Howard Manges (WBNG-TV),National Weather Service and we can't forget about Jim Cantore and the Weather Channel. But what did they do before that?

Believe it or not they would turn to onion skins, shape of clouds and Grandma's bum knee. There is even a onion skin saying...Who knew?

        Onion's skin very thin, mild winter coming in
        Onion's skin thick and touch, coming winter cold and rough.

Our ancestors would also use the behavior of birds to tell them what the weather would be like. Whether it was how thick the animals fur was or how restless they appeared.

Have you ever noticed that when the birds seem to be really active, that a storm wasn't that far behind? It's believed that when a rooster gets restless they crow more. That even lead to this farmers saying:

       If the rooster crows on going to bed,
      you may rise with a watery head.

Here's another wild bird behavior observation:

     If birds fly low, expect rain and a blow.
                      OR
     If birds fly low, then rain we shall know.

Okay, now that we've listened to what our feathered friends have to say, let's see what another source has to to say. That would another source that people have turned to for years: The Old Farmer's Almanac.

The Old Farmer's Almanac Binghamton Winter Prediction

The Almanac says that the Binghamton area will have a colder and drier winter with near-normal snowfall. The coldest times will be early, mid and late December going through much of January.

It also says that we could see the most snow in early December, early January, and mid-February. The Almanac seems to be remarkably accurate, so we'll see how it turns out this winter

11 Things That Scream Upstate New York

If you need to know anything about Upstate New York, know that its culture and tradition is distinct from the rest of the state.

Some things just make you sit back and say "wow, this is SO Upstate New York..."

If you're looking for a cozy winter getaway not far from Binghamton, check out these four small towns to enjoy a couple of days off.

Cooperstown, New York
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Four small towns not far from the Binghamton area made the list. Those towns are Cooperstown, New York, Honesdale, Pennsylvania, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, and Skaneateles, New York.

HONESDALE, PA

Honesdale, Pennsylvania
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The criteria My Dating Advisor used to determine this list of America's best coziest towns include weather, food, and activities. Categories within each of those are assigned points that add up to an overall score. For example, points for weather are determined by the average temperature in December, the length of the winter season, average snowfall in December, and days below 32 degrees.

JIM THORPE, PA

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
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The highest possible score achieved is 100. Cooperstown came in 25th on the list with 69 points, Honesdale lands at #40 with 63 points, Jim Thorpe is #53 on the list with 60 points and Skaneateles with 51 points, came in at #91 on the list of 170 towns.

SKANEATELES, NY

Skaneateles, New York
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