Lore Related to Clouds or Moisture
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2003 6:24 am
Moisture in the air (humidity) as well as the visual results of this moisture (fog and clouds) are good indicators of what the weather may be in the near future. Sayings that relate to humidity or clouds may, therefore, be accurate predictors.
“A summer fog for fair,
A winter fog for rain.
A fact most everywhere,
In valley or on plain.”
Most fog is formed in one of two ways. One way is for the temperature to fall to a point, called the dew point, in which the humidity rises to 100 percent. This happens on clear, calm summer nights. A cloudy sky acts like a blanket and holds in the heat of the day, so dew and fog won’t form because the air temperature doesn’t fall to the dew point. So a summer fog, or dew, means clear, calm weather conditions.
Another way fog can form is for warm, moisture-laden air to blow in over a cold surface. This is how most winter fogs form. Warm, moist air is a harbinger of rainy weather.
“A summer fog for fair,
A winter fog for rain.
A fact most everywhere,
In valley or on plain.”
Most fog is formed in one of two ways. One way is for the temperature to fall to a point, called the dew point, in which the humidity rises to 100 percent. This happens on clear, calm summer nights. A cloudy sky acts like a blanket and holds in the heat of the day, so dew and fog won’t form because the air temperature doesn’t fall to the dew point. So a summer fog, or dew, means clear, calm weather conditions.
Another way fog can form is for warm, moisture-laden air to blow in over a cold surface. This is how most winter fogs form. Warm, moist air is a harbinger of rainy weather.