Weather rhymes and folklore

“When a cow endeavors to scratch its ear, it means a shower is very near”… Farmers Almanac

Before there was a weather channel, weather apps for your smartphone, Doppler radar, or the National Weather Service, our ancestors were busy observing their natural surroundings and noticed that animal behavior, clouds, and other elements of nature gave clues about the weather to come.

Folks in the country relied on the sights and sounds around them for weather forecasting. They noticed the color of the sky, the direction of the wind, the shapes and movements of clouds and their combined influence on the next weather around them.

The result: weather folklore — sayings, rhymes and anecdotes that were passed down from generation to generation. Weather and weather lore are one of our favorite conversations.

The first weather rhyme I heard when I was a boy was when Dad recited one of his old navy weather sayings.

“Red sky in the morning

Sailors take warning.

Red sky at night,

Sailors delight.”

The brighter the stars, of course, the better the weather, but when a cat begins to wash its face a storm is coming fast. And when smoke drops in a chimney, rain soon follows. “When smoke descends, good weather ends,” as they say.

Cows always come home before a storm, for instance. And if you see them playing in the pasture, it’s a sure sign of rain.

“When pigs carry sticks

The clouds will play tricks;

But when they’re in the mud

There’s no fear of flood.

When hogs squeal, romp and play,

Expect snow by end of day.”

Rhyming weather sayings helped folks remember the things they witnessed and how they corresponded with the moods of the weather. Nobody bothered to scrutinize them scientifically, of course, but the sayings that seemed true got repeated, over and over again, proving their validity with the test of time. That’s why this rhyme about roosters is still repeated.

“When the cock crows at the break of day,

everyone knows good weather’s on the way.

If the cock crows on going to bed,

He’s sure to rise with a wet head.”

Along with this one for forecasting the approach of storms:

“Dark clouds in the west, stay home and rest.

Wind in the west, suits everyone best.”

And this one about the characteristics of snow:

“Snow like cotton, soon forgotten.

Snow like meal, it’ll snow a great deal.”

The length and severity of winter has always worried folks in temperate climes. Weather rhymes can help us figure how much wood or heating oil we’ll need, how soon to put on the snow tires, or how much hay to put in store.

“When the corn husks are thick ‘tis very clear,

The winter will be long and the weather severe.”

And my favorite:

“Onion skins very thin,

Mild winter coming in;

Onion skins thick and tough,

Coming winter cold and rough.”

I find myself convinced the coming winter, hereabouts at least, will be a hard one. It’s the leaves, you see.

“When leaves fall early,

Fall and winter will be mild;

When leaves fall late,

This winter you will hate.”

And one of the best rain weather rhymes:

“When windows won’t open, And the salt clogs the shaker,

The weather will favor the umbrella maker!”