Weather or Not

Weather or Not

How didi people predict the weather in the past? They judged the coming weather by using clues around them. They made up sayings and tales from what they noticed. Over time, some of these sayings and tales about weather became folklore.

People have looked at the sky, sun, and clouds to forecast the weather. Sailors have always needed to know how the weather might change. This old sailor's rhyme is often true.

Red sky by morning, sailor take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Usually, a red sky in the morning means clouds are on the way. A red sky at night means the clouds have already passed by.

The higher the clouds, the fairer the weather. Water and snow do not usually fall from the kinds of clouds that are high in the sky. So looking at the sky can help make a weather prediction.

However, not all weather sayings are about looking at the sky. Doors and drawers stick before the rain falls. Extra water in the air can make wood swell to a larger size. Then wooden doors and drawers can get stuck in place.