In Asheville and the surrounding Blue Ridge area, we are finding a spoon shape inside a locally grown persimmon seeds, which predicts heavy, wet snow for the upcoming winter. This is part of a deeply rooted Appalachian folk tradition. Every autumn, locals slice open the seeds of the native American persimmon lengthwise to reveal the shape of the internal embryo (the cotyledon). Generations of mountain families have treated the shape as nature's local winter weather forecast. The folklore breaks down into three distinct utensil shapes: Spoon (snow shovel), Knife (cutting cold wind) or Fork (mild winter).