Old Farmer’s Weather Warnings
Before the days of internet weather forecasts, radar, and satellite imaging, farmers predicted the weather by experience. Many anecdotes were passed down from generation to generation, or from neighbour to neighbour. Here are a few that are still very useful today, and often trump the weatherman.
- Red at night, shepherd’s delight, red in the morning, shepherd’s warning. A glorious red sunset practically guarantees a nice morning. On the other hand, a red sunrise is an ominous warning.
- No dew at night, rain the next day. This one works every time.
- When the leaves turn over, a storm is coming. Everyone has seen this on a hot summer day. If the gusts of wind show you the underside of the tree leaves, a storm is not far off. Other signs are if the houseflies are biting , if your dog wants to hide under the porch, or if the pigs are scratching themselves.
- Spider webs on the grass means no rain that day. If you go outside in the morning and see a spider web in bushes or on the grass, it won’t rain that day.
- The first frost of the fall is on a full moon. It seems true that the weather follows the cycles of the moon. Usually a cold full moon means a cold month will follow.
- When the frogs sing at night, frost danger is done. When we hear frogs chirping at night, it means that there is no longer any danger of a hard frost. Another good sign is when woodland flowers such as dogtooth violets or mayflowers bloom.
