I remember as a little girl listening to old men sitting around the country store discussing the weather. We did have a great local weatherman on a New Orleans TV channel who wore a big cowboy hat and could come pretty close to reporting on what was coming. But these old guys would make remarks about their own personal observations to give their report, and even as a little girl it would have me gazing up at the sky in wonder.
Recently I found an old gardener's desk reference book and stumbled upon many of these old words of wisdom observed by anyone paying attention to Mother Nature. They are called Natural Weather Predictors and now I am intrigued all over again.
So, here are some indicators of good and bad weather that will have you gazing up at the sky and across the fields as you drive down the highway. We can see if they check out as well as Nash Roberts did.
Indicators of Good Weather: Cumulus clouds appear to dissolve and vanish. Cumulus clouds are smaller at sundown than they were at noon. Clouds are high - the higher the clouds, the better the weather will be. The wind is from the west. The sky is read at sunset. Fog comes from the direction of the ocean. Fog rises, and Birds fly high in the sky.
Indicators of Bad Weather: Cumulus clouds increase and ride lower in the sky toward evening. Cirrus clouds merge into cirro-stratus. Clouds travel at different heights and speeds and move in different directions. Clouds travel against the wind. The sky is red at sunrise. Yellow streaks are visible in the sky at sunset. Smoke descends instead of rises. Fog comes from a landward direction. Fog settles down toward the ground. The sun looks blurry or hazy and has a halo. A ring around the moon - the larger the ring the sooner rain will come. Stars twinkle more than usual. Flowers are especially fragrant. Trees, especially quaking aspens, cottonwoods, and sugar maple, show the underside of their leaves. Birds fly low or do not fly at all. Birds are noisier than usual. Cows huddle in the field and turn their tails toward the coming storm. Bees stay close to the hive and will not swarm. Insects bite more and bites itch more. Snakes are more exposed and less hidden than usual. Stone walls feel damp. And corns, bunions, and joints throb and ache.
And going beyond that there is a formula to help gauge a time frame. It involves wind direction, a barometer reading adjusted to sea level equaling a weather forecast of clearing, colder, rain with high winds, clearing within a few hours or fair with little temperature change.
Did all this great wisdom accumulate over the centuries as farmers and their wives tried to manage a farm and garden? Did trial and error dictate what would one day become a much more pinpointed or not so pinpointed forecast brought on by computer models? I am thinking yes.
As for right now the sun is shining brightly, there are hawks circling high in a blue cloudless sky with cold winds occasionally stirring what remaining dead leaves still cling to the oaks. My forecast is that it is a beautiful day.
