Old Timer's guide to weather forecasting

Needless to say if the SHTF you can forget the local news telling you what the weather's going to be like so how did the old timers do it?

My list is comprised from many different sources the least of them is my now failing memory:

According to old timers, you can tell what the winter will be like by cutting a persimmon seed open. I would suggest cutting a few open to make sure they are all the same before assuming what the weather may be like.

What do the shapes mean?

Knife: If the shape inside the seed is that of a knife, it is believed to mean the winter will be cutting cold. As my grandma would say: So cold the wind feels like its cutting right through you like a knife.

Spoon: When the shape inside the seed looks like a spoon it is said to mean it will be a heavy winter. The spoon represents lots of shoveling.

Fork: The appearance of a fork shape within the seed is believed to mean that winter will be easy with only a light dusty of snow.
-- Cats scratch a post before a wind, wash their faces before a rain, and sit with their back toward the fire before a snow.
-- If a rooster crows at night, there will be rain by morning.
-- Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.
-- If cows lie down and refuse to go to pasture, you can expect a storm to blow up soon.
-- If a dog starts to whine for no reason, you can expect a major storm -- possibly a tornado.
-- Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain.
-- The darker the woolly bear’s (warm) coat, the more severe the winter will be. If there is a dark stripe at the head and one at the end, the winter will be severe at the beginning, become mild, then get worse just before spring.
-- When dogs eat grass, you can expect a severe storm.
Other than farmers, ships at sea were most affected by the weather. And since animals (except rats and the legendary pirate’s parrot) were rare on ships, sailors used current weather conditions, the position of the moon, as well as the behavior of sea life, to determine whether they should batten down the hatches.
-- If porpoises frolic at sea, expect a storm.
-- Red sky at morning, sailor take warning; red sky at night, a sailor’s delight.
-- A falling meteor predicts fair weather.
-- The appearance of gulls overhead does not mean rain, but fair skies instead.
-- If rain falls while the sun shines, then the shower will last half an hour.
-- If rats in the hold climb out on deck, it will be a fair day.
-- If the sail no longer catches the wind, then expect a violent storm to blow up in just a few hours.
-- If a quarter moon lies on his back, it is holding the rain. However, if it tips over, grab your slicker.
-- If salt pork turns sour, then be ready for a shower.
-- Blue sky in the northwest foretells fair weather and a good breeze.
-- If the moon rises red and appears very large, then rain is only a half day away.
Other than groundhogs, badgers and bears, other wildlife -- especially insects and bugs -- can be depended upon to predict the coming weather conditions. In Britain, for instance, loud singing crickets predict the coming of violent storms. If spiders weave their webs before noon, then it will be fair weather. Ants are supposed to be busier before a storm, as are cockroaches.
-- Locusts sing when the air is hot and dry.
-- When toads appear in large numbers, you can expect rain.
-- If bears and horses get thick coats early, then expect a severe winter.
-- Squirrels are busier gathering nuts before a bad winter.
-- If wasps build their nests high, a severe winter is on its way.
Even the weather itself, can be used to predict future conditions. For instance, for every fog in August, there will be a snowfall in winter. Furthermore, a hot summer precedes a cold winter.
-- The first frost of autumn will occur exactly six months after the first thunderstorm in the spring.
-- If the autumn is windy, then expect a mild winter.
-- If the spring in windy, expect a cool summer.
-- If it is a dry spring, it will be a wet summer.
-- A mild winter precedes a cool spring.
Some weather indicators are just plain obvious (and obviously told with tongue planted firmly in the cheek). For instance, if you look out your window and your dogs are running around and ducking, then a hailstorm is in progress. Furthermore, if water is dripping from your windowsill, you can be pretty sure that it’s raining outside.
There are, of course, hundreds of other ways our ancestors tried to predict the weather. And, at times, they were pretty accurate. The law of averages had to catch up with even the wildest of guesses.
In the middle of the nineteenth century the editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac -- a traditional source for long range forecasts -- discovered that they had forgotten to include the weather for a certain day in late June. “Just put anything in there,” the publisher told him. So the editor wrote that, on this particular day, that is was not only going to be fair, but it was also going to rain, snow and sleet. And, as it turned out, the forecast was 100 percent accurate.
Needless to say, after that amazing prediction was proven accurate, the almanac’s subscriptions tripled.

-- The darker the woolly bear’s (warm) coat, the more severe the winter will be. If there is a dark stripe at the head and one at the end, the winter will be severe at the beginning, become mild, then get worse just before spring.

Can you double check this and see if it's actually in reference to the woolly worm?

This is one of my favorites.

I grew up hearing this called the *Indian Stick*

It‘s made with balsam fir and reacts to barometric pressure.

You can buy them or make them and they’re very reliable! (Make sure and place it in the shade though)...

Stick curves up - it’s going to be fine - takes a dive - watch out!

Enjoy!



peace

Originally posted by Alethea

-- The darker the woolly bear’s (warm) coat, the more severe the winter will be. If there is a dark stripe at the head and one at the end, the winter will be severe at the beginning, become mild, then get worse just before spring.

Can you double check this and see if it's actually in reference to the woolly worm?

We always called them woolly bears when I was a kid. He means the woolly caterpillar.

Also, when you see the leaves of a tree turn over (the underside facing up), that means rain.

I can't remember who told me that, but seems to be pretty accurate.

And here's and 'old timers' weather chart for the UK.

If there are grey clouds - it might rain soon .

If there are no clouds - it might rain later.

If it is sunny - then it might rain in the afternoon.

If its winter and cold - then it might snow, but more likely rain.

If it is night and you can't see if there are any clouds - then it might rain during the night.

I always carry a small compact brolly in my EDC, probably bacause it might rain..

Mind you saying all that , when I ride my motorcycle and go to put my waterproofs on, ( because it looks like its going to rain ) the bloody sun comes out.



[edit on 24/9/09 by DataWraith]

Just to add another one I didn't remember until I woke up this morning...

Here at least, long before you see any clouds in the summer months those little black ants will gather in large numbers around their nests. about an hour before it does rain the winged ants will come out and take flight, sometimes the air sparkles with their wings in the air...

Some how the little buggers know a storm is coming and use that for matting. they need the softened wet soil to make new nests but even I admit they sometimes get it wrong...

PS: The woolly bear is a "worm" when I came back to fix it this morning the edit choice was already gone sorry bout that folks, blame the typo on my fat fingers

[edit on 24-9-2009 by DaddyBare]

What a great thread!

After all the weatherman can't tell us what the weather's going to do so it's interesting to learn a bit about reading it for ourselves. Superb!

I picked up a few more signs of a bad winter from the weather folklore site
•Onion skins or corn husks are very thick.
•Woodpeckers share a tree.
•Spiders spin larger than usual webs.
•An over-abundance of acorns is produced.
•A small rust/orange band appears on a wooly worm caterpillar.
•Trees are laden with green leaves late in the fall.
•Hickory nuts have heavy shells.
•Tree bark is heaviest on the north side of the tree.
•Crickets are in the chimney.
•Hoot owls call late into the fall.
•Raccoons have thick tails and bright bands.
•Squirrels gather nuts early in the year.
•Halos/rings are seen frequently around the sun or moon.
•Heavy and numerous fogs appeared in August.


Read more: weatherforecasting.suite101.com...


[edit on 27-10-2009 by DaddyBare]