Spiders in motion indicates rain The Old Farmer’s Almanac Proverbs Relating to UIDE TO Proverbs Relating to ANIMALS G BIRDS º Expect rain when dogs eat grass, cats purr If birds in the autumn grow tame, and wash, sheep turn into the wind, oxen The winter will be too cold for game. sniff the air, and swine are restless. ºBirds singing in the rain in- º If the bull leads the cows to pasture, expect dicates fair weather ap- rain; if the cows precede the bull, the proaching. weather will be uncertain. ºPartridges drumming in º When cats sneeze, it is a sign of rain. and fall means a mild and open winter. º When cattle lie down in the pasture, it indi- cates early rain. ºChickens cackle and owls hoot just before rain. º Bats flying late in the evening indicates fair weather . º If crows fly in pairs, expect fine weather; º a crow flying alone is a sign of foul If the groundhog sees its shadow on Can- weather . dlemas Day (February 2), six more weeks of winter remain. º When fowls roost in daytime, expect rain. º When horses and cattle stretch out their n a scientific paper written in º The whiteness of a goose’s breastbone in- necks and snif f the air, it will rain. 1882, meteorologists Ralph dicates the kind of winter: A red or dark- spotted bone means a cold and stormy º 1 Abercromby and William Marriott If the mole digs its hole 2 ⁄2 feet deep, expect winter; few or light-colored spots means a severe winter; if two feet deep, not so se-Isought to relate weather proverbs and a mild winter. vere; if one foot deep, a mild winter. folkways of forecasting the weather to actual º When domestic geese walk east and fly º When pigs gather leaves and straw in fall, atmospheric conditions. “The attempt to foretell the west, expect cold weather. expect a cold winter. weather is not of recent date,” they noted. “The an- Hawks flying high means a clear sky. º When rabbits are fat in cients carefully studied the sky and clouds, and endeav- When they fly low, prepare for a blow. October and November, º expect a long, cold ored to predict the kind of weather that was likely Petrels gathering under the stern of a winter. to ensue. . . . In later times ship indicates bad weather. º If sheep ascend hills and scatter, expect our forefathers studied the When the rooster goes crowing to bed, He will rise with watery head. clear weather. weather, and as they had no in- º When sea gulls fly inland, expect a storm. º Wolves always howl more before a storm. struments to guide them, they observed natural objects and When the swallow’s nest is high, The summer is very dry; Proverbs Relating to noticed the appearances of When the swallow buildeth low, the sky and clouds, and also the movements of animals, You can safely reap and sow. PLANTS birds, plants &c. Shepherds and sailors especially, be- º When the ash leaves come out before the ing exposed to all kinds of weather, would naturally be oak, expect a wet season. on the lookout for any signs of a coming change, and af- º Aspen leaves trembling in calm weather ter a time would begin to associate certain appearances indicates an approaching storm. with certain kinds of weather.” º When the bushes are full of berries, a hard More than 100 years later, we still have the same in- Proverbs Relating to winter is on the way . terest in learning how to read nature’s signs in order to º RAIN Dandelion blossoms close forecast the weather. These weather proverbs and sayings before a storm. are drawn from the files of The Old Farmer’s Almanac . Al- º Unusual clearness in the atmosphere, with º Frost will not occur after distant objects seen distinctly, indicates rain. the dogwood blossoms. though more than 200 years have passed since the Al- manac’s founding in 1792, many of these weather sayings º When the perfume of Red sky at morning, sailor take warning. flowers is unusually percepti- are much older. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. ble, expect rain. º If autumn leaves are slow Evening red and morning gray to fall, prepare for a cold win- Onion skins very thin, Are sure signs of a fine day. ter. Evening gray and morning red, (Corn husks, apple skins, and Mild winter coming in; Put on your hat or you’ll wet your head. nut shells are thought to be similar Onion skins thick and indicators.) If it rains before seven, º The sunflower raising its head indicates tough, It will clear before eleven. rain. Coming winter cold and º When the leaves of trees turn over, it fore- Rain from the south prevents the drought, tells rain. rough. But rain from the west is always best.

An Old Farmer’s Almanac resource. Copyright © 2004, Yankee Publishing Inc., 1121 Main Street, P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444; www.almanac.com. Proverbs Relating to Proverbs Relating to INSECTS and THE MOON REPTILES º A full Moon in April brings frost. º If the new crescent Moon is turned up, the quarter º In the old of the Moon a cloudy morning will be dry . If the points If ants their walls do frequent build, bodes a fair afternoon. are turned down, it Rain will from the clouds be spilled. º When the Moon runs high, expect cool or will be wet. º Ants are busy, gnats bite, crickets sing cold weather. º The old Moon louder than usual, spiders come down # from their webs, and flies gather in houses º When the Moon # seen in the new # Moon’ s arms is a sign of fair weather. just before rain. runs low, expect ## warm weather. º If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain. If When bees to distance wing their flight, the full Moon rises red, expect wind. Days are warm and skies are bright; º When the horns of the Moon are sharp, it indicates dry weather. But when their flight ends near their home, º As many days Stormy weather is sure to come. º The full Moon eats clouds. old as the Moon is º Fireflies in great numbers indicates fair º Two full Moons in a calendar month at the first snow, weather. bring on a flood. there will be as many snows before º When hornets build their nests near the º A lunar halo indicates rain, and the crop-planting time. ground, expect a cold and early winter. number of stars enclosed, the number of º When cicadas are heard, dry weather will days of rain. follow, and frost will come in six weeks. When spiders’ webs in air do fly, Proverbs Relating to º When there is enough blue sky The spell will soon be very dry. to patch a Dutchman’s breeches, expect clearing weather. º Spiders in motion indicates rain. CLOUDS º A curdly sky will not º When spiderwebs are wet with dew that A cloud with a round top and flat base leave the earth long dry. soon dries, expect a fine day . Carries rainfall on its face. º If you see clouds going Spiderwebs floating at autumn sunset º Anvil-shaped clouds bring on a gale. crosswind, there is a storm in the air. Bring a night frost, this you may bet. º When small clouds º The louder the frogs, the more the rain. join and thicken, Hen scarts and filly tails expect rain. Make lofty ships wear º Frogs singing in the evening indicates fair low sails. weather the next day. º Black clouds in º Clouds floating low enough to cast shadows the north in win- º on the ground are usually followed by rain. Leeches kept in glass jars are active just ter indicates ap- before rain. proaching snow. Mackerel sky, mackerel sky, º Hang up a snakeskin and it will bring rain. Never long wet, never long dry.

Proverbs Relating to WIND/BAROMETER TABLE DEW BAROMETER (REDUCED TO SEA LEVEL) WIND DIRECTION CHARACTER OF WEATHER INDICATED If three nights dewless there be, 30.00 to 30.20, and steady westerly Fair, with slight changes in temperature, for one to ’Twill rain, you’re sure to see. two days. 30.00 to 30.20, and rising rapidly westerly Fair, followed within two days by warmer and rain. º If a heavy dew soon dries, expect fine weather; if it lingers on the grass, expect 30.00 to 30.20, and falling rapidly south to east Warmer, rain within 24 hours. rain in 24 hours. 30.20, or above, and falling rapidly south to east Warmer, rain within 36 hours. With dew before midnight, 30.20, or above, and falling rapidly west to north Cold and clear, quickly followed by warmer and rain. The next day will sure be bright. 30.20, or above, and steady variable No early change. º If you wet your feet with dew in the morn- 30.00, or below, and falling slowly south to east Rain within 18 hours that will continue a day or two. ing, you may keep them dry for the rest of 30.00, or below, and falling rapidly southeast to Rain, with high wind, followed within two days by the day. northeast clearing and colder. 30.00, or below, and rising south to west Clearing and colder within 12 hours. 29.80, or below, and falling rapidly southeast to Severe storm of wind and rain imminent. In winter, northeast snow or cold wave within 24 hours. 29.80, or below, and falling rapidly east to north Severe northeast gales and heavy rain or snow, followed in winter by a cold wave. 29.80, or below, and rising rapidly going to west Clearing and colder.

Note: A barometer should be adjusted to show equivalent sea-level pressure for the altitude at which it is to be used. A change of 100 feet in elevation will cause a decrease of 1/10 inch in the reading.