How to Predict the Weather

Weather forecasting takes time and research. Here are just a few tips on scientific weather forecasting along with some interesting weather folklore.

Things You'll Need

• Umbrellas
• Weather Maps
• Weather Radios
• Emergency Food And Water
• First Aid Kits
• Barometers
• Compasses
• Pouch Rain Poncho
• Snow Shovels
• Thermometers For Outdoor Temperatures
• Flashlights
• Hand-cranked Or Solar Radios

Instructions

1. Watch for a steadily falling barometer with winds from the east/northeast. This usually indicates the arrival of a storm from the south or southwest within 24 hours.

2. Expect fair weather if the barometric pressure is steady and winds are coming from the southwest to northwest.

3. Look for the presence of cirrocumulus clouds that are in patches or in widespread layers. This is usually a sign of an advancing, large, unstable weather system.

4. Watch for the formation of cumulonimbus clouds early in the day. As they become more vigorous, the likelihood of severe weather increases.

5. Expect nice weather if the sky is blue and cloudless.

6. Expect nice weather the following day if the night sky is clear.

Tips & Warnings

• Here are some unscientific ways that folks forecast the weather:

• Expect fair weather if geese fly high in the sky.

• Expect showers if clouds look like rocks and towers.

• Prepare for a bad winter if it is warm in November.

• Prepare for a cold winter if turkeys at Thanksgiving have thick feathers.

• Prepare for a storm if you hear an owl hoot in the daytime.

• Prepare for a storm if smoke coils downward and lingers.

• If you live in an area where severe weather is possible, seek weather information from professional meteorologists.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish