The Rural Voice, 2003-10, Page 28Eyes in the sky
You can practice making'four
own wen ther forecasts
Story and photos
by tarry Drew
Cumulus clouds can quickly grow vertically as this photo of an
anvil -top cumulonimbus cloud shows. Heavy rains followed.
Can one forecast ,he weather by
glancing at the cows, looking
at the weather vane on the
shed and citing some old folklore and
rhymes? Even. meteorologists
concede there is some merit to the
weather wisdom of many an old-
timer.
Let's face it; the lives of farmers,
sailors, hunters and fishers were all
dependent on the weather. As such,
their observations of repeated
weather patterns would have been
formed and the merits "tested" not
only over their life -time, but also
passed along to be tested and
improved upon by generation after
generation — and each with a lot at
stake with the.weather.
Our own weather forecasts will
not come as instantaneously as the
radio or T.V. broadcast. To have
some merit, our forecasts will
generally require a certain vigilance
and ongoing commitment to
watching the sky — something our
ancestors would have been far more
accustomed to. According to the web
page "Weather Lore and Proverbs"
by David Phillips, Senior
Climatologist with Environment
Canada, "Only those sayings that
prophesy daily change, usually
Often cumulus clouds simply dot the summer sky (below left) and fair weather remains. Contrails (condensation trails)
created by aircraft will linger longer in the sky when there is more moisture present, suggesting rain is on its way
(below, right).
24 THE RURAL VOICE