Sometimes we’d like to predict the weather without reading a forecast. Long before technology, we had to rely on the observations or patterns of environment elements. This is even useful in our current life.
Here’s some steps. (from http://www.wikihow.com/Predict-the-Weather-Without-a-Forecast)
1. Check the grass for dew at sunrise. If the grass is dry, this indicates clouds or strong breezes, which can mean rain. If there’s dew, it probably won’t rain that day. However, if it rained during the night, this method will not be reliable
2. Remember the rhyme: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.”
– If you see a red sky during sunset (when you’re looking to the west), there is a high pressure system with dry air that is stirring dust particles in the air, causing the sky to look red. Since prevailing front movements and jet streams weather usually move from west to east (see Tips), the dry air is heading towards you.
– A red sky in the morning (in the East, where the sun rises) means that the dry air has already moved past you, and what follows behind it (on its way towards you) is a low pressure system that carries moisture.
3. Detect which direction the wind is blowing. If unable to immediately detect the wind’s direction, throw a small piece of grass in to the air and watch its descent. Easterly winds can indicate an approaching storm front, westerly winds the opposite. Strong winds indicate high pressure differences, which can be a sign of advancing storm fronts. Deciduous trees show the undersides of their leaves during unusual winds, supposedly because they grow in a way that keeps them right-side up during typical prevalent winds
4. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and smell the air.
- Plants release their waste in a low pressure atmosphere, generating a smell like compost and indicating an upcoming rain.
- Swamps will release gasses just before a storm because of the lower pressure, which leads to unpleasant smells.
- A proverb says “Flowers smell best just before a rain.” Scents are stronger in moist air, associated with rainy weather.
5. Watch the clouds
Cirrus clouds high in the sky like long streamers – bad weather within the next 36 hours
Altocumulus clouds like mackerel scales – bad weather within the next 36 hours. The old sailor’s saying for these types of clouds is “Mares tails and mackerel scales, tall ships carry short sails.” Another is “Mackerel skies and mare’s tails, sailors furl their sails.” Mackerel skies and mares tails formations sometimes appear in the same sky. When that happens, rain is sure to follow the next day.
6. Observe animals. They are more likely to react to changes in air pressure than we are
- Seagulls tend to stop flying and take refuge at the coast if a storm is coming.
- Animals, especially birds, get very quiet immediately before it rains.
- Cows will typically lie down before a thunderstorm. They also tend to stay close together if bad weather’s on the way.
- Ants build their hills with very steep sides just before a rain.
- Cats tend to clean behind their ears before rain.
- Turtles often search for higher ground when a large amount of rain is expected. You will often see them in the road during this period (1 to 2 days before the rain).
- A very old wives tale says if birds feed in a storm it will rain for a long time, if they don’t it will clear soon.
- If birds are flying high in the sky, there will probably be fair weather. (Falling air pressure caused by an imminent storm causes discomfort in birds’ ears, so they fly low to alleviate it. Large numbers of birds roosting on power lines indicates swiftly falling air pressure.)
