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.
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- When squirrels bury their nuts early, it will be a hard winter
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- 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.
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- If you hear an owl hoot in the daytime, a storm is approaching.
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- When clouds look like rocks and towers, the earth will be refreshed
by showers.
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- When clouds look like chicked scratches or mare's tails it will soon
rain.
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- High clouds indicate fine weather will prevail; lower clouds mean rain.
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- Smoke that curls downward and lingers means a nearing storm.
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- Roosting birds indicate a storm, because thinning air is harder to
fly in.
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- If the rooster goes crowing to bed, he'll certainly rise with a watery
head.
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- A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.
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- 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.
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- If fruit trees bloom in the fall, the weather will be severe the following
winter.
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- If the first snow falls on unfrozen ground, expect a mild winter.
Activities (Lessons)
Other Information
Written by: Riley Koch
Last Modified by NASA:
September 19, 1998