My grandson has been talking about the ground hog and
his shadow. He thinks it’s all ridiculous. And I kind of agree. According to
the ground hog, we are supposed to have 6 more weeks of winter. It is supposed to be 80 here next week. Ya, so
much for Punxsutawney Phil.
There are many wisdoms of weather lore that float in
and out of our consciousness as we go about our daily activities. These come
from Weather Lore Sayings - www.nps.gov. How
many of these do you remember hearing? What is your favorite? Most of these
have some merit, but I think I’ll still consult The Weather Channel as to when
to have my picnic.
·
“When
the dew is on the grass, Rain will never come to pass. When grass is dry at
morning light, Look for rain before the night.” if
there is no dew on the grass, it means the sky is cloudy or the breeze is
strong, both of which may mean rain.
·
“If
a circle forms ‘round the moon,‘Twill rain soon.”
The circle that forms around the sun or moon is called a halo. Halos are formed
by the light from the sun or moon refracting (bending) as they pass through the
ice crystals that form high-level cirrus and cirrostratus clouds. These clouds
do not produce rain or snow, but they often precede an advancing low pressure
system which may bring bad weather.
·
“When
leaves turn their back ‘tis a sign it’s going to rain.”
Some trees, such as oak and maple, have leaves that will curl when the humidity
is very high and the wind is blowing strongly. Both these conditions indicate
an approaching storm.
·
“I
know ladies by the score Whose hair foretells the storm; Long before it begins
to pour Their curls take a drooping form.” Human hair,
especially blond hair, has a tendency expand in length as the humidity rises.
This may cause naturally-curly hair to droop. Or it may cause straight hair to
curl up a little. The higher the humidity, the more likely it is to rain.
·
“When
sounds travel far and wide, A stormy day will betide.”
Sound travels at different speeds through different substances. It travels
faster through a solid substance than it does through air, for instance. Sound
travels better in air that is heavily laden with moisture than it does in dry
air.
· “If birds fly low Expect rain and a blow.” When the air pressure is high, it is easier for birds to fly at a higher altitude. If the air pressure is low, indicating bad weather, birds can’t fly as high because the air is less dense.
“Red
sky in morning, sailors give warning. Red sky at night, sailors delight.”
The weather patterns in North America generally move from west to east, when
clouds arrive overhead at sunrise the sky will appear red, signaling a storm
"moving in".
“Pale
moon rains; Red moon blows.” ” White moon neither rains nor snows.”
The more dust particles there are in the air, the greater the chance that
moisture will have something on which to form raindrops
“You
can tell the temperature by counting a cricket's chirps.” Crickets
- Crickets are accurate thermometers; they chirp faster when warm and slower
when cold.
“Flies
bite more before a rain.” This rule does not always apply, but
insects do calling more during moist weather, as flying is more difficult.
"The
higher the clouds, the better the weather".
Higher clouds indicate both dryness of air and higher atmospheric pressure.
Both these qualities are present with fair weather.
If you would like more interesting weather lore quotes
try The Farmer’s Almanac at https://www.almanac.com/facts-behind-weather-folklore
