BE YOUR OWN
WEATHER FORECASTER
"You
don't need a
weatherman to know which way the wind blows".
Bob Dylan
By noting cloud
formations,
wind direction, sky colour, and temperature and moisture changes, you
can
often predict accurately sunshine and rain, calms and storms. Here's a
handy list of practical weather signs that can provide a hint as to the
weather ahead. A Greek weather sage once said, when two weather signs
agree,
forecast with hope, when three confirm one another, forecast with
confidence.
Look for
cloudy, unsettled
weather when:
- the barometer
falls steadily
- the wind blows
strongly in the
early morning
- the
temperature at night is
higher than usual owing to clouds
- the
temperature is far above
or below normal for the time of year
- clouds rapidly
move in various
directions at different levels
- high, thin,
wispy clouds (cirrus)
increase in amount, thicken and lower, sometimes producing a ring or
halo
around the sun or moon
- clouds darken
on a summer afternoon
- high- and/or
middle-level clouds
darken and move from the south and southwest
- the sunrise is
red
Look for steady
rain or snow
when:
- the barometer
falls steadily
(if the pressure falls slowly, rain or snow will come within a day; if
it falls rapidly, expect precipitation any minute)
- winds blow
from the southeast
to northeast and north
- clouds are low
and uniformly
flat and grey
- leaves show
their undersides
as strong south wind in advance of the rain will flip the leaves over
- there is a
ring around the sun
or moon
Look for more
bright weather
when:
- the barometer
is steady or rising
slowly
- a gentle
breeze blows steadily
from the west to north
- winds swing
from south to southwest
or from east or northeast to the northwest
- cloud (amount
and number) decreases
in the late afternoon
- cloud base
rises and humidity
decreases
- evening sky is
clear and you
can look directly at the setting sun which looks like a ball of fire
- morning fog
breaks within two
hours of sunrise
- the night
before heavy dew or
frost occurs
- the moon
shines brightly and
the wind is light
- a bright blue
sky with high
thin wisps of cloud
Look for clearing
skies when:
- the barometer
rises
- the wind
shifts to any westerly
direction (especially from east through south to the west)
- the
temperature falls rapidly,
especially in the afternoon
- increasing
breaks in the overcast
- clouds become
lumpy
- dark clouds
become lighter and
steadily rise in altitude
- fog lifts
before noon
- frost or dew
is on the grass
- Look for
showers (thundershowers)
when:
- the barometer
falls
- winds blow
from the south or
southeast
- the morning
temperature is unusually
high, air is moist and sticky, and you see cumulus clouds building
(rain
within six hours)
- dark,
threatening thunderclouds
develop in a westerly wind
- thick, fluffy
(cumulus) clouds
develop rapidly upwards during early afternoon
- you hear loud
static on your
AM radio (thunderstorms within the hour)
Look for heavy
snow when:
- the barometer
falls rapidly
- winds blow
from the east or
northeast
- the air
temperature is between
-10 oC and -1oC
- a storm lies
to the south and
east of you
Look for
temperatures to
rise when:
- the wind
shifts from the north
or west to the south
- the nighttime
sky is overcast
with a moderate southerly wind
- the sky is
clear all day
Look for
temperatures to
fall when:
- the barometer
rises steadily
(in winter)
- the wind
shifts into the north
or northwest from the south
- the wind is
light and the sky
is clear at night
- skies are
clearing, especially
in the winter
- snowflurries
occur with a west
or north wind
Look for fog when:
- warm winds are
blowing humid
air across a much colder surface (either land or sea)
- the sky is
clear, the winds
are light, and the air is humid the night before
- warm rain is
falling ahead of
the warm air
- water
temperatures are warm
and the air is much colder
Compiled by:
David Phillips
Senior Climatologist
Environment Canada
August, 1997
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