Topic Two

Folklore in Meteorology

Long before the advent of modern meteorology man has observed and tried to predict the weather. It is clear through weather folklore that simple observations of atmospheric phenomena could be used to make short range forecasts. The following are some examples of popular folklore used in the past and to some extent today, to predict tomorrow's weather.

Folklore Predicting Fair or Foul Weather

Saying:
Red sky at night, sailor's delight
Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning Typically, when the sun is low on the horizon, as it is during sunrise and sunset, red light is more readily scattered to an observer's eye than other colors. When there is a deck of cirrus clouds covering the sun, either at sunrise or sunset, that red light is reflected over a wide area giving the sky a reddish tint. Cirrus clouds are the forerunners of large scale storm systems. So, a red sky in the morning would warn a sailor that a storm was on the way and a departure from safe harbor should be delayed. A red sky at night could still mean an impending storm, but the sailor's day already being complete would mean nothing to worry about, so he could delight in the fact that his work was done before foul weather arrived.

Saying:
If cows in a field are lying down,
Rain can be expected within 12 hours. It is generally thought that cows lie down before a storm because they feel rheumatic due to the changing air pressure associated with an inbound low pressure system. Low pressure systems usually bring rain. Saying:
Frost or dew in the morning light
Shows no rain before the night. conversely,

When grass is dry at morning light,
Look for rain before the night. You can bank on theses sayings being correct almost every time. For frost or dew to form, air must be cooled to its dew point. To achieve the necessary cooling, a clear calm night must occur. If a storm were to bring rain to an area, clouds would increase and a backing wind would import moisture into a region. Clouds and increasing wind are not favorable parameters for dew or frost formation. Saying:
Mackerel clouds in the sky,
Expect more wet than dry. In many cases you can count on this saying as a good forecast tool. The mackerel clouds are generally known as cirrocumulus, which often form well in advance of a warm front. Warm fronts generally bring a period of steady rain within 24 to 36 hours after the first cirrocumulus clouds appear. Saying:
A ring around the sun or moon,
Means rain or snow will follow soon. There is merit in this saying. Halos (or rings) around the sun or the moon are caused by the bending of light as it passes through the hexagonal shaped ice crystals that comprise cirrus clouds. Cirrus cloud decks normally precede large scale storm systems which bring either rain or snow. Saying:
When the wind is in the west,
The weather is at its best This saying holds true across the Northeast very well. Westerly winds naturally occur behind a departing storm system and bring fair dry weather. Saying:
Pimpernel, pimpernel, tell me true
Whether the weather be fine or no. The pimpernel is a type of plant that closes its leaves when the humidity reaches 80%. More common local plants that share this behavior are dandelions, tulips, clover, laurels, and milkweed to name a few. So, if you observe any of these plants closing their leaves or blossoms, it means a dramatic rise in humidity and a likelihood of rain.

Plants and Insects as a Guide to Temperature Watch a rhododendron's leaves... They are a remarkable indicator of temperature.

At 60 degrees F and above the rhododendron's leaves are fully open.
At 40 degrees F the leaves are about 1/4 the way closed.
At 30 degrees F the leaves are about 1/2 the way closed.
At 20 degrees F or below, the leaves are completely closed.

Insects are also said to indicate temperature. Take the cricket for example. Count the number of cricket chirps for one minute, add 100, then divide the total by 4. The result from the equation will yield a rough idea of the temperature. For example: 180 chirps + 100/4 = 70 degrees F.

Folklore Predicting Temperature

Saying:
Cold is the night,
When stars shine bright. Clear skies and calm winds produce ideal radiative cooling conditions at night. So, on a night when the stars are clearly visible, the temperature drops much more than it would if the sky was cloudy. Saying:
Clear moon,
Frost soon. Again, a clear sky during the fall or winter will allow the temperature to drop to its dew point, or frost point in this case. So, if the moon is clear and sharp during the spring or fall, expect a large temperature drop and a potential frost. Saying:
When a squirrel eats nuts in a tree,
Weather as warm as can be. The thought here is that squirrels frantically gathering nuts, means cold weather will soon follow. If the squirrels are casually eating nuts, then warm weather will follow. There is no scientific evidence to suggest this saying is accurate. Saying:
The east wind brings aches and pains. It is no secret that old injuries are effected by changes in temperature and humidity. Easterly winds normally bring cool moist air into a region, an air mass commonly responsible for increased aches and pains in people.

Thunder and Lightning Folklore

Saying:
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place. This saying has been scientifically proven untrue. Example: The empire state building is normally struck by lightning several times per thunderstorm. Saying:
Beware of an oak,
It draws the stroke,
Beware of an ash
It counts the flash.
Creep under the thorn,
It can save you from harm. It is well known that lightning will take the easiest path to the ground, very often striking the tallest object around, such as a tree. If you are caught outside in a thunderstorm, never stand under or close to a tall tree, stay low to the ground, until the lightning has past. Saying:
When it thunders in the morning,
It will rain before the night. This saying should be obvious. If you hear thunder, it means it is raining or soon will be raining over or close to your location.

Source Information for Weather Folklore Anthes, Richard A., John J. Cahir, Alistart B. Fraser, and Hans A. Panofsky, "The Atmosphere," Charles E. Merill Publishing Company, Columbus, 1981. Dolan, Edward F., "The Old Farmer's Almanac book of Weather Lore, Yankee Publishing Inc., Dublin, New Hampshire, 1988. "Meteorology," Microsoft Encarta. Copyright 1993 Microsoft Corp. The Northeast Regional Climate Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY