Baltimore Bill says the cold is coming

BALTIMORE (WMAR) - Baltimore Bill, the weather predicting crab, says we're in for cold conditions sooner rather than later.

For years, Baltimore Bill has been a local weather expert and the folks at Old Bay decided to introduce him to the world today.

With official Preakness/Triple Crown stakes caller Larry Collmus provided the play-by-play, Bill walked down a specially designed plank and headed right out to the bay and off to warmer climates, after all, he's not a snow crab.

Ever since Bill spawned in the lower Chesapeake Bay, he was different from other crabs. When he was hatched, Bill is said to have raised a claw in the water, felt a warm current and headed off to share his special power with the world.

“When making a prediction, I take a lot of elements into consideration,” said Bill, who was interviewed via bay phone from an undisclosed location. “Today, my special claw was drawing me to the right. While my claw has the strongest effect on my prediction, I also consider the air temperature, wind direction and smell of the water.”