No one can see the future, but the forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are better equipped than most.
On Thursday, NOAA released its annual winter outlook, predicting winter temperatures and precipitation for the U.S. In mid-Missouri, early signs point to an average winter.
NOAA's maps give probabilities of above-, near- and below-average temperatures and precipitation levels across the U.S. For both precipitation and temperature, most of Missouri has equal chances of being below or above the average. The northwest corner of the state has a 33-40 percent chance of above-average temps this winter.
"We expect El Nino to be in place in late fall to early winter," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "Although a weak El Nino is expected, it may still influence the winter season by bringing wetter conditions across the southern United States, and warmer, drier conditions to parts of the North."
Leaf peeping
In the more immediate future, those who love autumn leaves are anticipating beautiful reds and yellows.
Normally, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, fall colors peak in mid-October. That's not the case this year. A quick peep outside shows a landscape dominated by green.
Here's what gives: An early frost Monday night affected all the leaves that had already changed color, causing them to fall early. Recent rains have also delayed the color change, the MDC stated.
But fear not, leaf-peepers. An updated prediction posted Thursday points to beautiful foliage coming soon, thanks to upcoming sunny days.
Keep an eye out for yellowing hickories, bright-red maples and muted purple dogwoods. Persimmons - a small, orange native fruit - are also ripening. A perfectly ripe persimmon will be soft, orange and easy to shake off the tree; under-ripe persimmons are tongue-puckeringly astringent.
Folklore claims the seeds in the center of a persimmon also has predictive powers. Cut one in half and you'll find the faint outline of its kernel, shaped like a fork, spoon or knife. The Farmers' Almanac claims a knife warns of a cuttingly cold winter. A spoon predicts plenty of snow to shovel. Forks foretell a mild winter.