Weather Folktales

For a discussion of weather lore and a student activity, go to Weather Proverbs - Are Some Weather Folktales True? with an accompanying Weather Proverbs - Folklore Lesson.

But first, enjoy some lines of lore from ages past.

Some common lines of weather lore:

If animals have an especially thick coat of fur, expect a cold winter.

When squirrels bury their nuts early, it will be a hard winter

Hornets' nest built in the top of trees indicate a mild winter is ahead; nests built close to the ground indicate that a harsh winter is coming.

If you hear an owl hoot in the daytime, a storm is approaching.

When clouds look like rocks and towers, the earth will be refreshed by showers.

When clouds look like chicked scratches or mare's tails it will soon rain.

High clouds indicate fine weather will prevail; lower clouds mean rain.

Smoke that curls downward and lingers means a nearing storm.

Roosting birds indicate a storm, because thinning air is harder to fly in.

If the rooster goes crowing to bed, he'll certainly rise with a watery head.

A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.

If the woolly worm's (a type of caterpillar) head is more black than colored, the coldest part of the winter will come in the first months of winter.

If fruit trees bloom in the fall, the weather will be severe the following winter.

If the first snow falls on unfrozen ground, expect a mild winter.

Written by: Riley Koch

Last Modified by NASA: September 19, 1998