Can Folklore Forecast The Weather

Many traditional ways of forecasting the weatherstable and you do not have to worry about any
often seem dated and superstitious, but moderninclement weather blowing in. However, if your
scientific and meteorological research has shownsmoke isn't rising very high, it may be due to low
that traditional weather signs are actually moreair pressure, which prevents the smoke from
accurate than you might think. For example, manyrising and is also a good indicator of inclement
traditional weather signs focus on the behavior ofweather to come.
animals, such as the flight patterns of birds. Well,"When the dew is on the grass, rain will never
scientists now know that since birds have hollowcome to pass; when grass is dry at morning light,
bones, they are very sensitive to atmosphericlook for rain before the night." Dew occurs
pressure, acting just like natural barometers. Thisbecause the moisture in the air condenses on the
article will explain how to use several traditionalcool leaves and blade of grass, leaving a residue
weather forecasting methods to tell when that bigof moisture, which happens generally during nights
storm is going to blow in.where the sky is clear and there is lots of
"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky atatmospheric pressure. However, if there is no
morning, sailors take warning." A red sunset isdew, it is probably because the night was cloudy
probably caused by dust particles suspended inand the grass did not cool down enough for dew
the air, which signifies a dry tomorrow. If it wereto form.
rainy, the dust particles have been knocked downThere are dozens, probably hundreds of these
to the ground. On the other hand, the sky is thelittle tidbits of folk wisdom out there. While they
red in the morning, then that same dry, dusty airseem at first glance to be based on pure
is moving towards the east, away from you.superstition, it is surprising how many of these
Most likely, moist, cloudy air is blowing in the fromsayings are based on solid scientific fact. By
the west and pushing the dry air away,learning them, understanding the meteorology
"If smoke goes high, no rain comes by; if smokebehind them, and applying them, you too can
hangs low, watch out for a blow." If you can seedevelop the uncanny nose for the weather that
the smoke from a fire going high up into the air,veteran outdoors people often display.
then there is no wind. The air is probably relatively