General Weather Lore

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

Here is a collection of weather sayings that do not fit neatly into the preceding categories. They may or may not have any scientific validity. Most of them are probably not very reliable but a few may have merit.

Included here are the weather sayings that attempt to predict the long-range weather, such as whether the winter will be cold or the summer rainy. Almost all long-range forecasts, even by the National Weather Service, are not very accurate.

“Onion skins very thin
Mild winter coming in;
Onion skins thick and tough
Coming winter cold and rough."

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

”If March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion; if it comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“Plant your beans when the moon is light,
You will find that this is right;
Plant potatoes when the moon is dark,
And to this line you’ll always hark;
But if you vary from this rule,
You will find you are a fool;
Follow this rule to the end.
And you’ll have lots of dough to spend.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When oak is out before the ash,
‘Twill be a summer of wet and splash.
But if the ash before the oak,
‘Twill be a summer of fire and smoke."

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“The first snow comes six weeks after the last thunderstorm in September.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“If February brings drifts of snow
There will be good summer crops to hoe.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When sheep gather in a huddle,
tomorrow we will have a puddle.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

Expect the weather to be fair
When crows fly is pairs”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

If woolly worms are dark, the coming winter wilt be severe.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When ladybugs swarm,
Expect a day that’s warm.”

The above saying may be true because lady bugs store heat in their shells. If it gets too warm, they start flying to dissipate the heat. Of course, this means it is already warm, not that it is going to be warm!

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When chickens scratch together,
There’s sure to be foul weather.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“If the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When pigs carry sticks,
The clouds will play tricks;
When they lie in the mud,
No fears of a flood.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When cattle lie down during a light rain, it will pass soon.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“When walls in cold weather begin to show dampness, the weather will change.”

This is probably a good indicator that the humidity is increasing and may mean cloudy or rainy weather ahead.

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“If the sparrow makes a lot of noise, rain will follow.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“The moon and the weather
May change together;
But change of the moon
Does not change the weather”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“If the moon lies on her back, She sucks the wet into her lap.”

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

“Tipped moon wet: cupped moon dry.”

The moon has virtually no affect at all on the weather. Certainly, the way a crescent moon’s horns point has nothing to do with the weather. This is purely a function of the moon’s orbit.