Having boated for a few years now, we’ve come to understand that not all weather situations can be predicted. Between the regional weather forecasts, the marine weather broadcasts and anything else we can find on our boat radio or cellphones (whenever we are able to get a signal, that is!), all we can do is make an educated guess at what might happen over the next few hours. Even with all the technology we have, Mother Nature can change her mind in a second – and send everyone running for cover. Or, battling it out on the high seas.
On our last boating journey, we came across a book entitled, Reading the Clouds: How You Can Forecast the Weather, by Oliver Perkins (c.2018). This young lad (his first book came out when he was 15 yrs. old) is helping us remember the cues and clues that are up in the sky. Electronics and internet gadgets are great, but there are times when there is no signal to be found, the electrical charger didn’t work or there is no time to consult a “google master” before disaster hits. A quote from the book’s back cover states, “To get an idea of how the weather will develop for the precise spot where you are standing (or walking, sailing, golfing, camping, fishing, etc.), you don’t need any equipment or wifi connection – you just have to look up!”
The book is a comprehensive account of the science and rationale for weather forecasting, clouds and their meanings. What piqued my curiosity was that in the final chapter, he also explains how some of our folklore tales and proverbs have validity in forecasting the weather. He also debunks a few of these tales, as well. Here is a sampling of some of the tales he explains.
Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.
“This is the most well known of the weather proverbs. It appears in the Bible, so it was known at least by the 1st century AD. This proverb works due to the position of the sun and the clouds. For a red sky to occur, it must not be cloudy on the side of the sky where the sun is. However, there have to be clouds in the other side of the sky onto which the sun can shine its light. If there is a red sky in the evening, it means that there must be clear weather to the west, but poor weather to the east. That means that the weather is improving as weather systems generally come from the west. A red sky in the morning has the opposite effect. Note: this proverb is only correct in the mid-latitudes where the weather systems generally come from the west.” (p.100)
A halo around the sun or moon means rain or snow coming soon.
“The refraction of light in the ice crystals in cirrostratus clouds causes halos. These clouds are often present before a depression approaches and as we know, depressions bring rain or snow. Cirrostratus clouds are not often seen unless a depression is approaching, so this weather proverb is usually quite accurate.” (pg.100-101)
The sharper the blast, the sooner ‘tis past.
“This one basically means that the more ferocious the poor weather and the quicker it sets in, the shorter it will last. Strong thunderstorms always last less than an hour; however, in a warm front or in a warm sector, the rain will last for hours or days, but will be much lighter.” (pg.101)
If the goose honks high, fair weather. If the goose honks low, foul weather.
“This proverb is referencing how high the geese fly, not the pitch of their honk. Geese fly best at a certain air density (ie. pressure), which changes with the weather. In a depression, where there is low pressure, the geese fly low as the optimal air density for flying is lower. In an anticyclone, which normally brings fair weather, the air pressure is greater so the geese fly higher to find the optimal air density.” (pg.104)
When your joints all start to ache, rainy weather is at stake.
“Here is another pressure-related proverb. When there is low pressure, it allows tissues to expand in the body, which can put pressure on the joints, causing pain. This is why arthritic people often say that they can predict when bad weather is coming. Obviously, this proverb is not necessarily the most accurate as your joints could ache for countless other reasons, too.” (pg.105) (NOTE: most folks with arthritis CAN tell that the weather is changing!)
If the spiders are many and spinning their webs, it will soon be very dry.
“In high humidity, spider webs absorb water and become heavy, causing them to be more obvious to prey and prone to break. Spiders are very sensitive to moisture in the air and they are aware that their webs may break, so when there is high humidity, they will hide and not spin their webs. When spiders sense low humidity, they will come out and resume their web spinning. This is a useful indicator because if there are lots of spiders spinning their webs, we know that fair weather is probably here for at least a day.” (pg.104)
Mountains in the morning, fountains in the evening.
“Tall cumulus clouds tower up high into the sky like mountains, and if these are seen early in the morning it indicates that the air is quite humid. These clouds then grow further during the day and by the afternoon it is likely to be showers, although these showers will tail off by evening.” (pg.108)
All quotes from Reading the Clouds: How You Can Forecast the Weather by Oliver Perkins
Hope you have fun “testing” your weather forecasting skills!