Simply a collection of weather folklore

General Weather Folklore

Horses run fast before a violent storm or before windy conditions.
Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.
Flowers close up before a storm.
If the bull leads the cows to pasture, expect rain; if
the cows precede the bull, the weather will be uncertain.
Expect rain and maybe severe weather when dogs eat grass.
(This almost always happens before we have a major outbreak of tornadoes)
Wolves always howl more before a storm.
When the rooster goes crowing to bed, he will rise with a watery head.
Ants are busy, gnats bite, crickets sing louder then usual
spiders come down from their webs, and flies gather in
houses just before rain and possible severe storms.
Evening red and morning gray Are sure signs of a fine day.
Evening gray and morning red, put on your hat or you'll wet your head.
When small clouds join and thicken, expect rain.
Dandelion blossoms close before a storm.
If autumn leaves are slow to fall, prepare for a cold winter..
When the leaves of trees turn over, it foretells windy
conditions and possible severe weather
Redbirds or Bluebirds chatter when it's going to rain
Birds on a telephone wire indicate the coming of rain.
Before a storm, cows will lie down and refuse to go out to pasture.
When spiders weave their webs by Noon, fine weather is coming soon.
If wasps build their nests high, the winter will be long and harsh.
When it is evening you say, "It will be fair, for the sky is red." And in the morning,
"It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening."
Matthew 16:2
It will be a cold, snowy winter if:
-Squirrels accumulate huge stores of nuts.
-Beavers build heavier lodges than usual.
-Hair on bears and horses is thick early in season.
-the breastbone of a fresh-Cooked turkey is dark purple.
A severe summer denotes a windy autumn;
A windy winter a rainy spring;
A rainy spring a severe summer;
A severe summer a windy autumn;
A month that comes in good, goes out bad.
A warm Christmas,
A Cold Easter.
The sky turns green in a storm when there is hail.
A veering wind will clear the sky,
A backing wind says storms are nigh.
When you look out your window and see your Dogs jumping around and
ducking Its a sign that its hailing.
When dogs in your house start looking paranoid schizophrenic
expect very heavy sleet for 5 hours.

Tips for seeing what the Humidity and temperature is.

* To find out what the humidity is.
Get a ruler, hold it up in the air, lined up with a Jet contrail, Make sure that it's at the
Start or at the End of the contrail.
After you have done so. move the measuring stick up the contrail.
In other words measure the Contrail, By 12"
For Example: 12" + 12" + 12" + 12" = 48" So that would be 12" 4 times, times 10
So 4x10 = 40 and so on.
If the contrail is 58" long than that would be 12" + 12" + 12" + 12" + 6" = 53"
That would be calculated as 4.5 like 10 = 45 = 45% RH
Put a pine cone outside where you can observe
it from time to time. How does it change when the humidity increases?
It closes up in moist weather to protect the seeds..
Using A cricket is a great thermometer!!
In the evening when crickets are in the cool grass, count the number of chirps they
make in 14 seconds that will be the temperature in their location (the temperature
may be different where you are standing)..
Warm summer means a cold winter, a dry spring means ample summer rainfall;
a windy autumn is followed by a mild winter.
The first frost in autumn will be exactly six months after the first thunderstorm
of the spring.
Using Woolly Bears to predict the winter season...
Folklore says that if the brown stripe is wider than the black stripes, the winter will be long and
harsh.

Tips for your lawn..

Here Is a little tip for when your thinking about Watering your garden this summer!!!
It will save you time and Money!!
It is more efficient to water your lawn in the evening than in the afternoon
On a warm day, up to 50% of the water is lost to evaporation when the sun is
shining overhead!!
also, sometimes when you water while the sun is over head, it will kill your flowers.
But the bad thing about watering your garden in the evening is, when the sun is not out the water
cant evaporate as fast, thus the water remains on the grass overnight and it mildews and kills your
grass.

Tips for forecasting.

Get a rock from somewhere, and place it somewhere like in your yard or something!
That's all you have to do, and your ready for forecasting!!!!!
If you don't want to use a rock, you can use a horse, works just as well!!!
If it's dry ------Weather's Clear
If it's wet -----It's Raining
If its white ---It's Snowing
If it's gone ---Tornado

Short RangeWeather Folklore

If the goose honks high, fair weather;
If the goose honks low, foul weather.
The low flight of rooks indicates rain.
Birds flying low, Expect rain and a blow
If the lark flies high, Expect fair weather.
When swallows fleet soar high and sport in the air, He told us that the Weldon would be clear.
Wild geese fly high in pleasant weather And fly low in bad weather.
Everything is lovely when the goose honks high.
If the rooster crows on going to bed, you may rise with a watery head.
If the raven crows, expect rain.
When geese cackle, it will rain.
When ducks quack loudly, it's a sign of rain.
The hooting of the owl brings rain.
If the sparrow makes a lot of noise, rain will follow.
When parrots whistle, expect rain.
Fish bite best before a rain.
When fish break water and bite eagerly, expect rain.
When porpoises sport and play, there will be a storm.
Trout jump high When a rain is nigh.
The crab his briny home forsakes, And survives on land to a roam.
Bubbles over calm beds of water means rain is coming.
Marshes give off an eerie light before a rain.
Wells give murky water before a storm.
Look for foam on the river before a rain.
When bubbles are rising on the surface of coffee and they hold together, good weather is coming; If the bubbles break up, weather you don't need is coming.
Underground miners can smell rain coming.
When ditches and ponds Offend the nose, Look for rain And stormy blows.
When boiling water more rapidly vanishes, expect rain.
If pavements appear rusty, rain will follow.
When the glass falls low, Prepare for a blow; When the glass is high, Let your kites fly.
In the winter, a heavy snow is predicted if the barometer falls and the temperature rises.
When the wind breaks, and the weather glass falls, Then be on your guard against rain and squalls.
If cirrus clouds form in weather with a falling barometer, it is almost sure to rain.
A summer thunderstorm that does not depress the barometer will be very local and of little consequence.
Sap from the maple tree flows faster before a rain shower.
Water rising in springs and wells indicates rain.
Many springs that have gone dry will have a good flow of water before rain.
Wells gurgle and yield muddy water before a storm.
Soot falls down before a rain.
If burning coals stick to the bottom of a pot, it is the sign of a tempest.
Fires burning paler than usual and murmuring within are significant of storms.
Burning wood pops more before rain and snow.
The katydid's song gives the following temperatures:
Kay-tee--did it-----------78F
Kay-tee--didn't----------74F
Kay-tee--did--------------70F
Kate-Didn't----------------66F
Kate-tee--------------------62F
Kate--------------------------58F
Cockroaches are more active before a storm.
Locusts sing when the air is hot and dry.
Ants are very busy, gnats bite; Crickets are lively, spiders leave their nest; And flies gather in houses before a rain.
Open crocus, warm weather; Closed crocus, cold weather.
Tulips open their blossoms when the temperature rises, they close again when the temperature falls.
The daisy shuts it's eye before rain.
If the marigold should open at six or seven in the morning and not close until four in the afternoon, we may reckon on settled weather.
When pipes smell stronger, it's going to rain.
If the perfume of flowers is unusually perceptible, Expect rain.
Flowers smell best just before a rain.
When ditches and ponds offend the nose, Look for rain and stormy blows.
If a dog pulls his feet up high while walking,
A change in the weather is coming.
Cats scratch a post before wind, Wash their faces before a rain, And sit with backs to the fire before snow.
Cats with their tails up and hair apparently electrified indicate approaching wind.
When spiders webs in air do fly, The spell will soon be very dry.
If garden spiders forsake their webs, it indicates rain.
If spiders are many and spinning their webs The spell will soon be very dry.
Spiders enlarge and repair their webs before bad weather.
A reddish sun has water in his eye; before long you won't be dry.
When the sun sets bright and clear, An easterly wind you need not fear.
Clouds on the setting sun's brow indicate rain.
Evening red and morning gray; A good sign for a fair day.
When the sun sets unhappily with a red veiled face; Then will the morning be angry with wind and storm.
A red evening and a gray morning sets the pilgrim walking.
And evening red, and a morning gray, sets the traveler on his way;
but an evening gray and a morning red, put on your hat, you'll wet your head.
If the sun in red should set, the next day surely will be wet; if the sun should set in gray, the next will be a fair day.
An evening gray, and a morning red, makes the shepherd hang his head.
When walls are wet, expect some rain.
If metal plates and dishes sweat, it is a sign of rain.
Quarries of stone and slate indicate rain by moist exhalation from the stone.
When stones sweat, rain you'll get.
Pale moon rains,
Red moon blows;
White moon never rains or blows.
The moon her face be red, of water she speaks.
If the moon rises clear, expect fair weather.
When the moon rises red and appears large, with clouds, expect rain in twelve hours.
When the moon is darkest near the horizon, expect rain.
If salt is sticky, and gains in weight; it will rain before too late.
When cheese salt is soft, expect rain.
Tobacco gets moist before a rain.
Oily floors quite slippery get before the rain makes everything wet.
If there is dew on the grass in the morning, fair weather.
When dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.
Mist rising from the pond, fair weather tomorrow.
Clear moon, frost soon.
When mountain moss is soft and limpid, expect rain.
When corn fodder stands all dry and crisp, go on your outing, there's no great risk.
Doors and drawers stick before a rain.
When ropes are tight it's going to rain;
When weather's fair, they're slack again.
Knots get tighter before a rain.
Ropes shorten before a rain.
When locks turn damp in the scalp house, it will surely rain.
Guitar strings shorten before a rain.
Dandelion blossoms close before a rain.
When the milkweed closes its pod, expect rain.
The pitcher plant opens wider before a rain.
Chickweeds close their leaves before a rain.
Closed is the pink eyed pimpernel before rain.
When corn fodder is crisp, fair weather; When corn fodder is limp, rain is coming.
If smoke falls to the ground, it is likely to rain.
Campfires are more smoky before a rain.
The factory smoke stack is more of a nuisance before a rain.
Frogs croak before a rain; But in the sun are quiet again.
If toads appear in large numbers, expect rain.
If frogs make a noise at the time of cold rain, warm dry weather will follow.
If many earthworms appear, rain will follow.
If you see toadstools in the morning, expect rain by evening.
When frogs jump across the road, they are looking for rain.
Dead branches falling calm weather indicates rain.
If cumulus clouds are smaller at sunset than at noon, expect fair weather.
When cumulus clouds become heaped in leeward during a strong wind at sunset, thunder may be expected during the night.
If wooly fleeces spread the heavenly way, be sure no rain disturbs the summer day.
When clouds sink below the hills, foul weather; When clouds rise above the hills, fair weather.
After back clouds, fair weather.
If cloudy and it soon decreases, certain fair weather.
A round-topped cloud and flattened base, carries rainfall in its face.
When mountains and cliffs in the clouds appear, some sudden and violent showers appear.
Long foretold, long last Short notice, soon passed.
Enough blue sky in the Northwest to make a pair of Dutchman's breeches is a sign of approaching fair weather.
When clouds are upon the hills, they'll come down by the mills.
When lookout mountain has its cap on, it will rain in six hours.
Clouds upon the hills, if rising, do not bring rain, if falling, rain follows.
If clouds rise in heaps of white, soon will the country of the corn priests be pierced with arrows of rain.
Cumulus clouds in a clear blue sky, it will likely rain.
Sun shiney shower last half an hour.
Clouds small and round like a dapple-gray, with north wind, fair for a day.
The higher the clouds, the fairer the weather.
When smoke rises but not too high, clouds won't grow and you'll keep dry.
Mackerel skies and mares' tails
Make tall ships carry low sails.

From Weather Folklore