DONEGAL’S FAMOUS WEATHERMAN PREDICTS SNOW BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

homersimpson

Donegal’s famous amateur weatherman has predicted the county is set to shiver from a series of cold snaps this winter.



Postman Michael Gallagher has said he is “99% sure” the country will suffer heavy falls of snow – before Christmas.

Mr Gallagher, who makes his predictions by studying plants and animals, has written a best-selling book ‘Traditional Weather Signs”.

In his first prediction this year, the postman says the country will shiver in the coming weeks.

“I have never seen as many berries on the trees in the mountains and the birds are singing very loudly in recent days.

“I have never seen as clear a day as I saw this week and that is not a good omen.

“The abundance of berries is a sure sign that temperatures are going to plunge in the winter. We’re in for a cold one. And I’m 99% sure we’ll have plenty of snow,” he said.



Mr Gallagher famously forced bookmaker Paddy Power to pay out more than €70,000 when he correctly predicted a white Christmas three years ago.

However the forecaster from Glenfin says it is too early to say whether we are in for a white festive season.

“I don’t think it will be as tough as a couple of years ago but it will get cold very soon.

“I can’ say just yet if we will have a white Christmas but we’ll almost certainly have plenty of snow before Christmas.

http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/10/23/donegals-famous-weatherman-predicts-snow-before-christmas/

Tactical

WONS :D:D

Larbre34

Spare me. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Chicken Run

he said the "S" word....... !!!!!!

kstand

Well he has been fairly bang on the money the last few years.

Tactical

Chicken Run wrote: »

he said the "S" word....... !!!!!!

...and the word plenty was used too

stargazer 68

Excellent! I love SNNNOOOOOWWWWW

NIMAN

So he's guessing we will have snow sometime in December?? Thats a brave prediction.

Does he also chat to the dead by any chance?

kstand

All we can do is wait and see. Live in London and was out with the little lad on Saturday, was in Battersea Park and noticed a lot of berries on the trees. On Sunday was walking to a park near where we live and there is this apple tree near the entrance, the apples were falling off the tree on to a car beneath, it was totally laden with apples. If I remember correctly about 2 years ago, as the leaves were dying on theb trees there was a kaleidoscope of colour in place like Kew Gardens about this time of the year with people were interpreting to mean a cold winter was on its way, so will keep an eye on that.

Dice75

Larbre34 wrote: »

Spare me. Even a clock is right twice a day.

Not if its digital & has am/pm beside the time.

I predict no snow, so one of us will be right anyway.

ninebeanrows

It's obvious that all this lad does is crawl the internet forums and takes the consensus seasonal forecast.

Wolfe_IRE

Weathercheck wrote: »

It's obvious that all this lad does is crawl the internet forums and takes the consensus seasonal forecast.

:pac::pac:

There is an argument for nature giving signs, that's if you are able to read the signs. His track record is better than most it must be said. Personally, i believe in technology but the questions must be asked, what did people use before technology to forecast?

delw

The abundance of berries is a sure sign that temperatures are going to plunge in the winter.

There was lots of berries around last year,if i remember correctly people on here saying alot more berries than usual & it must be so the animals can stock up for a cold winter etc......
Well we all know how last winter turned out

Deep Easterly

There is every chance that he might be proved right, because even in a average Irish winter, snow in December is not all that unusual.

castor 1

That lad has no shame - hasn't a clue after previous 'predictions' :rolleyes:.

He should stick to the day job !

Wolfe_IRE

Whether I agree with his forecasting techniques or not, people need to be clear about his recent track record.

Report in Irish Examiner from May 2012:
Michael Gallagher, Postman, Donegal

As one of Ireland’s best known amateur forecasters, Michael predicts: "Overall I wouldn’t be too happy with the summer. We’ve had a very good winter. March was very warm and there was very little rain over the winter.

"I believe thunder will dominate the summer and I would advise people to make the most of any good weather we get.

"The signs are not good for a warm sunny summer. There was very late growth this year. Flowers that should have been up by the start of April were only coming out at the end of the month. The frogspawn was very plentiful in the middle of flat land, which is a sign that they’re expecting water to come.

"If good weather is coming the frogspawn tends to be located near a stream but not on flat land. I hope I’m wrong."

Winter 2011, from Donegal Daily

Ireland’s most famous amateur weatherman has said there is ‘SNOW WAY’ Donegal is going to be plunged into artic-like conditions this winter.

Postman Michael Gallagher has successfully predicted snowfalls for the last number of years from his base in the hills of Donegal.

But Michael, from Glenfin, says he simply can’t understand why everyone is saying the country is going to be covered in snow and freezing conditions for months on end.

“I simply don’t know where these forecasts are coming form. I can see no signs of it.

“We might have a little snow but I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as the past couple of years.

“I can see us getting plenty of rain and frost but I can’t see the huge falls of snow and freezing temperatures which everyone seems to be predicting,” he said.

Michael, who famously forced bookmaker Paddy Power to pay out €70,000 in early bets after predicting a white Christmas two years ago, says there will be plenty of storms.

Only recently he was approached by a customer while doing his rounds who had found a frog behind a flowerpot.

“When we lifted the flowerpot the frog just wouldn’t move. I just knew that was a bad sign.

“A couple of days later we had those bad storms. The frog knew it was going to be bad and didn’t plan on moving anywhere,” said Michael.

Joe Public

Weathercheck wrote: »

It's obvious that all this lad does is crawl the internet forums and takes the consensus seasonal forecast.

He backs up his predictions by referring to the signs of nature, whether he gets it right or wrong is another matter.
Who's to say if his methods are flawed without proof.
Do we know someone with a better success rate for long range forecasting?

Speak Now

I'd like to hear what the frog thinks.....

Sponge Bob

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

I'd like to hear what the frog thinks.....

Vogan hasn't delivered a winter forecast for Donegal yet ...has he????

Not

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

I'd like to hear what the frog thinks.....

The frogs area of expertise is storms, not snow

Sparks

The abundance of berries is a sure sign that temperatures are going to plunge in the winter.

Doesn't that imply that plants can somehow tell the future?
I would have thought that berries on a plant meant that you had a good summer, a good gardener, or that you'd killed the gardener and buried his body under the bushes.

Only one of those things can be used to predict the future, and the one that can doesn't give much data on future weather (just future court attendances )

Calibos

You're an enigma Wolfe Yourself and several others have fits when anyone mentions Vogan and yet you defend the postman. Both make money from their predictions. Why the Love for the Postman and the Hate for Vogan?

super_furry

He's wheeled out all the time, but what's this lad's record like?

GastroBoy

Larbre34 wrote: »

Spare me. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

And wrong 86398 times a day..........

Wolfe_IRE

Calibos wrote: »

You're an enigma Wolfe Yourself and several others have fits when anyone mentions Vogan and yet you defend the postman. Both make money from their predictions. Why the Love for the Postman and the Hate for Vogan?

Think you are confusing me with someone else, Cal.

At no stage have I ever made a disparaging remark about Mark Vogan. I am aware that a lot of people have negative opinions of him though. I do not have any opinion as his forecasts are subscription-based so i cannot read/analyze/criticize them.

I was simply giving credit where credit was due to Michael Gallagher and responding to people saying 'he was wrong'. People said he got last winter wrong and this summer wrong. He got both right and went against the general consensus on both occasions. I will point out (again) that despite his success rate I would invest more of my faith in technology to obtain forecasts. That does not mean I am right. God knows, I am wrong most of the time :rolleyes:

As for people making money, that is their own personal business.

leahyl

Godge

I posted this already on the other thread:

Reading the article, the sentence that struck me the most was:

"I don't think it will be as tough as a couple of years ago...."

So while he is predicting a cold winter with snow, given what people have become used to in terms of snow and coldness, that sentence may come as disappointment/relief depending on your point of view (oh and also depending on whether you give his forecast any credence).

A headline saying "Postman doesn't think winter will be as tough as recent ones" doesn't have the same oomph but is probably closer to what he is saying.


After reading this thread, it still seems to me that while he is predicting a better chance of snow this winter than last winter, it will not be in the category of the heavy falls of recent winters, so not a lot to get excited about either for snow lovers or snow haters who worry about the negative effects. Maybe I am missing something.

kstand

You could interpret it a lot of ways godge. Last winter he said he didnt see any signs of this cold that so many were forecasting and he was right - but this time round he's saying there will be significant cold there with snow which he ruled out a year ago.
So all we can do is wait and see I suppose.

Calibos

Wolfe_IRE wrote: »

Think you are confusing me with someone else, Cal.

At no stage have I ever made a disparaging remark about Mark Vogan. I am aware that a lot of people have negative opinions of him though. I do not have any opinion as his forecasts are subscription-based so i cannot read/analyze/criticize them.

I was simply giving credit where credit was due to Michael Gallagher and responding to people saying 'he was wrong'. People said he got last winter wrong and this summer wrong. He got both right and went against the general consensus on both occasions. I will point out (again) that despite his success rate I would invest more of my faith in technology to obtain forecasts. That does not mean I am right. God knows, I am wrong most of the time :rolleyes:

As for people making money, that is their own personal business.

Oops Case of mistaken identity.

Nabber

Everyone will love the post man now after this prediction. Except Kerry and Cork. They'll be only counties that will see no snow this year.

Joe Public

Sparks wrote: »

Doesn't that imply that plants can somehow tell the future?
I would have thought that berries on a plant meant that you had a good summer, a good gardener, or that you'd killed the gardener and buried his body under the bushes.

Only one of those things can be used to predict the future, and the one that can doesn't give much data on future weather (just future court attendances )

Plenty of berries and fruit usually means it was a favourable Spring. Towards the end of a good year the birds are spoiled for choice and tend not to eat all the berries.