How to Predict the Weather Forecast by Nature

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By Limowreck
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Nature provides ample, reliable clues to predict the weather forecast. Here's how to recognize and use them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Red or Pink Morning Sun or Sky ~ Rain or storming are highly likely. High sky humidity causes the atmosphere to appear red.
Step 2

Red or Pink Evening Sun or Sky ~ Rain or storming are not likely for the following 24-36 hours.
Step 3

Breakfast Rainbows ~ Rain is likely approaching. These are rainbows that appear in the morning, but do not follow a storm. They are another visual indication of elevated humidity in the high atmosphere.
Step 4

Tea Time Rainbows ~ Rain or storming are unlikely. The humidity is not sufficient to cause precipitation.
Step 5

Gray Morning Sky ~ Rain or storming are unlikely. Graying is caused by shift of ground moisture into the lower sky.
Step 6

Gray Night Sky ~ Rain or storming may be likely. Evening gray happens when the humidity in the high sky is sufficient to trap colored debris particles in a condensed area and form a haze.
Step 7

Rising Morning Mist or Haze ~ Rain is unlikely. The atmosphere above the ground is both dry enough and warm enough to cause the mist or haze to evaporate.
Step 8

Low Sitting Clouds ~ Rain or storming are highly likely in near future. Clouds fall as their water content increases.
Step 9

High Sitting Clouds ~ Rain or storming are unlikely. Water content of the clouds is low.
Step 10

No Morning Dew ~ Storming is likely. Dry grass and plants in the morning indicate that the wind conditions have been elevated in recent hours. Strong winds are associated with storming.
Step 11

Morning Dew ~ Rain is unlikely.
Step 12

Silence ~ Significant storming should be expected. When ambient animal noises, particularly bird songs, are not present, it indicates the onset of bad weather conditions.
Step 13

Environmental Odors Increase ~ Rain or storm are likely. Plant life reacts to the natural indicators of weather. When storms approach, you'll often hear people say, "It smells like rain." They aren't far off. What they are smelling is the subtle blend of botanical excitement. Non-flowering plants, like grass and trees, emit a mildly foul odor as they release their waste in bulk. Meadows, swamps and marshes release methane at an often nauseating pace. Flowers release more of their fragrance. This is why an early spring rain will differ in smell from a mid-summer rain. The addition of summer flowers freshens the otherwise musky odor of a spring or fall rain.
Step 14

Wandering or Grazing Cows ~ Weather will be fair.
Step 15

Huddled Cows ~ Storming is likely. Cows huddle on the ground to protect each other in a storm.
Step 16

Falling Smoke ~ Rain or storming are likely. When smoke from a camp-sized fire rises in the air, peaks, and falls or moves mostly horizontally in the absence of wind it indicates low pressure and storming is likely. ***should only be attempted with adult supervision and practice of fire safety techniques.***
Step 17

Hazy Moon ~ Rain or storming are unlikely. Haze indicates dust and moisture trapped in the high atmosphere.
Step 18

Clear Moon ~ Rain or storming are likely. An area of low pressure has sucked the moisture and dust downward, creating a clearer view of the moon.

Comments

wytetyger059 said

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on 8/12/2008 Great article. I was always told to watch the leaves on the trees. If the underside shows, that means the wind is blowing in a different direction from the prevailing winds and this often means rain within 24 hours. This doesn't seem to work where I live, tho.