Weather Wisdom from the Past

Rain

If the dull side of leaves on trees are showing, it will rain.

It is a sign of rain when cattle bunch together.

It is a sign of rain when flies bit more aggressively than normal.

When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.

When we hear noises from far away, moisture is on its way.

Cold 

A ring around the Moon means cold weather.

Cold is the night when the stars shine bright. 

Seasons

            Fall is coming when the blackbirds start to bunch up in big flocks.

            If crickets come early, there will be an early fall.

Adapted from: Water resources.  Suitcase Exhibits, North Dakota, ND State Historical Society.  Bismarck, ND. 

Weather Folklore - Excerpts from The Farmer's Almanac

A sunshiny shower will not last half an hour.

Crows fly low, winds going to blow; Crows fly high, winds going to die.

Hawks flying high means a clear sky. When they fly low, prepare for a blow.

[Birds are sensitive to air pressure. Generally, low-flying birds are signs of rain; high flying birds indicate fair weather.]

From twelve ‘til two tells what the day will do.

If a cow stands with its tail to the west, the weather is said to be fair. If a cow grazes with its tail to the east, the weather is likely to turn sour.

Lightning: the sharper the blast, the sooner it is past.

Onion skin is very thin, mild winter is coming in. Onionskin is thick and tough winter will be cold and rough.

Rainbow at noon, more rain soon.

The moon and the weather may change together but change of the moon does not change the weather.

The chill is on, near and far, in all the months that have an ‘R’.

Weather is ill if the wind is still.

When sea birds fly to land there truly is a storm at hand. [Sea birds tend to stop flying and take refuge on the coast if a storm is coming.]

When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.