Weather Signs

Appalachian
Weather Signs

Forecasting Winter by Plants

It will be a bad winter if:

tree bark is heaviest on the north side.
bark on trees is thicker.
there's a heavy crop of berries, acorns, and pinecones.
hickory nuts have a heavy shell.
the crop of holly and dogwood berries is heavy.
trees are laden with green leaves late in the fall.
sweet potatoes have a tougher skin.
onions grow more layers
grapes, cocklebrrs, and apples mature early.
blackberry blooms are especially heavy.
pine cones open early.
the old-time corn ear hands downward.
moss grows heavy on the trees.
carrots grow deeper.
laurel leaves roll up.
leaves shed before they turn.

Forecasting Winter by Insects

It will be a bad winter if:

hornets and yellow jacket their nest heavier.
an ant builts it hill high.
crickets are in the chimney.
there are a lot of spiders, and black bugs about in the fall.

The woolly worm tell of a bad winter if:

there are a lot of them crawling about.
he has a heavy coat.
you see him crawling before the first frost.
if he's brown at both ends and orange in the middle, the winter will be mild.
if hes black in the front, the bad weather is coming.

Three months after the first katydid begain "hollerin"," the first killing frost will come.

When butterflies:

migrate early, winter will be early.
gather in bunches in the air, winter is coming soon.

Forecasting Winter by Animals

It will be a bad winter if:

hogs gather sticks, straw, to make a bed.
squirrels begin gathering nuts in September.
birds eat up all the birries early.
juncos are feeding in the trees.
birds huddle on the ground.
muskrat houses are built big.
beaver lodges have more logs.
the north side of a beaver dam is more covered with sticks.
squirrels' tails grow bushier.
fur or hair on animals such as horses, sheep, mules, cows, and dogs is thicker than usual.
squirrels build nest low in trees.
crows gather together.
hoot owls call late in the fall.
screech owls sound like women crying.

Forecasting Winter by Weather

Two frosts and lots of rain mean cold weather is near.
A late frost means a bad winter.
For ever frost or fog in August, there will be a snow day in winter.
At least three severe fogs in June or July mean early snow.
If it snows crosslegged, it will be a deep one.
If the first snow stays n the ground for three days, another snow will come top it.
If it frosts before November 21, it will be a bad winter.
Lots of low rolling thnder in the late fall means a bad winter.
A long hot summer means a long cold winter.

Forecasting Winter by Fire

When you build a fire outside and it pops, it will snow in three days.
It will be a hard winter if smoke from the chimney flows toward or settles on the ground. It will snow within twenty-five days.
If the snow coming down the chimney noises in fire sounds like boot swishing through deep, dry snow, it will be a deep snow.
If it's cloudy and smoke rises, there's a chance of snow.

Weather Forecasting

It will rain:

within three days if the horns of the moon point down.
if leaves show their backs.
if there is a ring around the moon. Count the stars in the ing and it will rain within that many days.
if the sun sets with clouds.
within three days, if you see a black snake in a tree.
if an ant covers the hole to his ant hill.
if smoke goes to the ground.
the same time the next day, if the sun shines while it rains.
if bird fly low.