OLD-TIME WEATHER PREDICTION SKILLS

HOW THE PIONEERS PREDICTED THE WEATHER

This is a collection of Pioneer Weather Forecasting Skills that you will find useful in your gardening and homesteading endeavor. They have been known to my family for generations. Grandpa Godden and my Great Uncle Jake were amazing at this. My Dad was, also. These Old Time Weather Prediction Skills will provide great information to help protect yourself and your loved ones by knowing what the sky is telling you.

Years back, my Dad was visiting with some folks in the grocery store parking lot. Suddenly, he lifted his head to look at the sky. “Gonna rain,” he said positively. The couple started laughing, and said, “Why, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and the weatherman said it would be good weather.”

This didn’t bother my Dad, who just ignored it, and went on chatting with them. About five minutes later, they heard a low rumble of thunder in the distance. The people looked startled, but must have thought it was just a coincidence.

They talked a bit longer, and another low rumble of thunder came, only this time it was louder and closer.

“Well,” my Dad said. “Gotta go.” The people followed him to his car wondering how he knew. Dad just said, “Can’t ya smell it?”

When I was growing up, I remember my Dad often going to the west kitchen window, and leaning his arms on the sill to watch the sun go down. He did this each Friday night. Great Uncle Jake always said if the sun sets behind a cloud on a Friday night, it would rain before the sun sets Monday.

And so it has always been with my family. They lived in harmony with The Good Earth. These Old-Timers were smart enough to notice things. Such as the fact that rain has a heavy wet smell.

PIONEER WEATHER FORECASTING TIPS

1. A thick, dark sky that lasts for a considerable amount of time without sun or rain, always becomes a fair, clear sky before it turns to rain.
2. If the sun sets behind a cloud, or even a low, slim bank of clouds, on a Friday night, it will rain before sunset on Monday. But, if the sun sets clear and bright on a Friday night, you will have a clear, rain-free weekend. (This rarely ever fails.)
3. A change in the warmth of the air is usually followed by a change in the wind. Not the other way around. North winds and South winds are commonly accredited as the cause of cold and warm weather. These winds are actually the effects of the temperature of the air.
4. Most vegetables open their flowers when the sun shines, and close them toward evening or when it rains. This especially happens when they just begin to flower and when their seeds are tender and delicate. When vegetable blossoms and flowers close their blooms, it means rain or very bad weather approaches.
5. Humid weather with a wind that comes out of the South leads to rain.
6. When the wind suddenly shifts and blows in a different direction than the sun’s course (which is from east to west), you can expect wet, windy weather.
7. When a circle forms around the Moon, not close to it, but at a distance, you can usually expect rain the following day.
8. When the smallest stars are not visible, but the large ones are, it indicates a coming storm.
9. If the grass is covered with lots of morning dew after a pleasant day, it is a sign of another beautiful day to come. If there is no morning dew and no wind, rain will move in.
10. A red evening sky leads to good weather the next day. But if a red sky spreads too far upward from the horizon, whether at sunset or sunrise, it leads to increasing wind or rain, and sometimes both.
11. If you notice the sky turning greenish during a rain, it means more rain to come. If the sky turns blue, it will only mean showers.
12. When the sun shines through falling rain, it will also rain the next day.
13. The air smells heavy and wet before a rain. The next time the tv weatherman says it will rain, try to notice the difference in the smell a few hours before rain is due. Then smell the air during a rain. You can teach yourself to be sensitive to this. The scent of vegetation will be more pronounced when a storm is brewing.
14. When the Moon is red, the weather will be windy. When the Moon is white and a bit hazy, it will rain. If the Moon is shining brightly, the weather will be pleasant.
15. A rainbow will always be opposite the sun, which rises in the east. A morning rainbow means it is raining in the west. An evening rainbow means it is raining in the east.
16. Thick, towering clouds are a sign of extremely bad weather, especially if the edge of the clouds are very dark and well defined.

There is no way that I know of about how to predict that a tornado is coming, but certain things should give you a clue that danger is near:

• A very dark, green sky
• A wind that suddenly dies down and the air becomes still. It can become eerily quiet when this happens.
• A wall of clouds that goes from very high up to almost the ground, and often swirls or rotates
• Large hail (whether or not it has been raining)

Any or all of these things could spell trouble. I have lived in Iowa all of my life, and it has been called “Tornado Alley” for a good reason. Fortunately, I have never experienced a tornado first hand, but some close family members have been struck by one. They said the roar of the wind sounded like a freight train.

How to predict the weather by clouds and wind, the color of the sky, the moon, and air temperature, all are useful clues to what is about to happen in the atmosphere.

As I write this, I spent this morning cleaning up my almost three acre homestead following the storm we just had. Big limbs and branches were everywhere, but at least we were unharmed. Old Time Weather Prediction Skills have served us well for decades, and I hope they will benefit you and your families.

STAY SAFE, Everyone,

Susan