Weather lore

Here are some things people believe about the weather. They may or may not be true. Most are probably correct, mainly because they are the results of observation of the weather.

These sayings and notions remind us how much we were once dependent on local knowledge, rather than on received knowledge, as is the case today. I suspect many farmers and growers still rely on their intuition and experiences of local weather conditions.

Some will only be applicable to the regions of their origin. How many apply to your neck of the woods?
If there is fog during the winter, it will rain 100 days later.
Dark clouds in the west -- stay home and rest.
If a Ground Hog sees its shadow on Ground Hog's Day (Feb. 2) there will be 40 more days of winter.
According to the Farmers' Almanac, the width of the stripes on a particular type of caterpillar can be used to tell if winter is going to be good or bad. Fat stripes mean there will be a cold, rugged winter. The thinner the stripes the better the weather will be.
If March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb, but if it comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion.
When bees stay close to the hive, rain is close by.
When teeth and bones and bunions ache, expect the clouds to fill the lake.
Trappers say that the thickness of fur pelts is a good indication if the weather is going to be cold.
If deer stay in the swamp then rainy weather can be anticipated.
If animals are constantly on the move or eating frequently, it could mean rain or cold weather is on the way.
Animals and people have quick tempers when a low pressure area is moving in.
The tilt of the crescent of the new moon will determine the amount of rainfall over the next month. If the crescent is more vertical in appearance it will be a rainy month, but if the crescent appears to be lying more horizontally it will be a dry month.
If it is cloudy in the daytime but does not rain, it will get colder in four or five days.
The higher the clouds the better the weather.
Rainbow in the morning, shepherd take warning; Rainbow toward night, shepherd's delight.
If birds begin to migrate earlier or if rabbits turn white sooner in the fall, it means that winter will come early.
Some elderly people complain that their arthritis is more severe immediately before a major storm.
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/gr4udesc.html
Robert Leslie Fielding