Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, "weather" is understood to be the weather of earth.
A cloud is a visible mass of water droplets or frozen ice crystals suspended in the Earth's atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or other planetary body. Clouds in the Earth's atmosphere are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology. Two processes, possibly acting together, can lead to air becoming saturated: cooling the air or adding water vapor to the air. Generally, precipitation will fall to the surface; an exception is virga which evaporates before reaching the surface. Clouds can show convective development, like cumulus, or be a layered sheet, such as stratus. Prefixes are used in connection with clouds: strato for low cumulus-category clouds that show some stratiform characteristics, alto for middle clouds, and cirro for high clouds. Whether or not a cloud is low, middle, or high level depends on how far above the ground its base forms. Some cloud types can form in the low or middle ranges depending on the moisture content of the air.
Weather lore is the body of informal folklore related to the prediction of the weather.
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Unusual clearness in the atmosphere, with distant objects seen distinctly, indicates rain.
Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.
Evening red and morning gray are sure signs of a fine day. Evening gray and morning red, put on your hat or you'll wet your head.
If it rains before seven, it will clear before eleven.
- Rain from the south prevents the drought, but rain from the west is always best.
- Anvil-shaped clouds bring on a gale.
A cloud with a round top and flat base carries rainfall on its face.
When small clouds join and thicken, expect rain.
Black clouds in the north in winter indicates approaching snow.
When there is enough blue sky to patch a Dutchman's breeches, expect clearing weather
A curdly sky will not leave the earth long dry.
If you see clouds going crosswind, there is a storm in the air.
Hen scarts and filly tails make lofty ships wear low sails.
Clouds floating low enough to cast shadows on the ground are usually followed by rain.
Mackerel sky, mackerel sky, never long wet, never long dry.
If three nights dewless there be, 'twill rain, you're sure to see.
If a heavy dew soon dries, expect fine weather; if it lingers on the grass, expect rain in 24 hours.
With dew before midnight, the next day sure will be bright.
If you wet your feet with dew in the morning, you may keep them dry for the rest of the day.
Other Weather Folklore
Cricket Chips
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count number of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get temperature.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature.
Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C
Persimmon Seed
Cut open a persimmon seed. It should be locally-grown to reflect your weather.
Look at the shape of the kernel inside.
If the kernel is spoon-shaped, lots of heavy, wet snow will fall. Spoon = shovel!
If it is fork-shaped, you can expect powdery, light snow and a mild winter.
If the kernel is knife-shaped, expect to be "cut" by icy, cutting winds.
It's best to use ripe seeds.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature.
Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C
Persimmon Seed
Cut open a persimmon seed. It should be locally-grown to reflect your weather.
Look at the shape of the kernel inside.
If the kernel is spoon-shaped, lots of heavy, wet snow will fall. Spoon = shovel!
If it is fork-shaped, you can expect powdery, light snow and a mild winter.
If the kernel is knife-shaped, expect to be "cut" by icy, cutting winds.
It's best to use ripe seeds.
Goose Bone
Around Thanksgiving, cook a freshly killed goose. roast it, carve it, and serve it, always being careful not to cut the breastbone from the carcass.
After the goose had been eaten, carefully remove the breastbone and cut away all the meat and fat left clinging to it. Then take the bone and put it on a shelf to dry, keeping an eye out for the coloration that would follow. If the bone turned blue, black, or purple, a cold winter lay ahead.
White indicated a mild winter.
Purple tips were a sure sign of a cold spring.
A blue color branching out toward the edge of the bone, meant open weather until New Year's Day.
If the bone was a dark color, or blue all over, the prediction was for a real bad winter.
That's it. And there was even an explanation. An overall dark color meant that the bird had absorbed a lot of oil, which acted as a natural protection against the cold. The darker the blue coloring, the tougher the winter ahead would probably be.
