What is Folklore Weather Forecasting

Before satellite weather pictures, the barometer, the thermometer, the anemometer, the rain gauge, the hydrometer and   and before the position of Weather Forecaster had been thought of, most people worked in the open and observed the weather every day.

These people noticed patterns in the weather, and as they discussed these patterns with friends and neighbours adages developed.

The adages found in these pages have endured generations simply because they have proved to be true over and over again.

Welcome to Folk Lore Weather Forecasting whether it is to research a school assignment or a special project or just to understand what is happening with the weather, where you live.
Folklore weather forecasting is the DIY (Do-it-yourself) method of forecasting the weather. You use it exactly where you are at the moment you make an observation, you do not rely on a professional forecaster in a remote city. It applies to your neighbourhood and not to the next valley or town.

How it all began

This site commenced in 1998 with a few folklore weather rhymes. Over the years it has continued to grow, mainly from contributions submitted by people located in many countries. In August 2003 the single page had become so large and untidy that I was forced to reorganise the subject into the present layout. I trust that it will continue to provide enjoyment and information to student for their projects and assignments and to individuals who observe the weather for the interest of themselves and their friends.

Over the years many weather observations have been included that were not rhyming forecasts, therefore I have separated these items from the rhymes.

A separate history page has been incorporated for the history of weather observation and dates back to 300 B.C.

I have attempted to record the many emails I have received and these also have their separate page.

We now accept the thousands of weather observations that are made each day and the fact that a weather forecast not only covers our local area but the whole country.

Where a forecast mentions a month please remember that these refer to northern hemisphere seasons. The same observation may also apply in the southern hemisphere if you move the month six months forward. eg. March in the northern hemisphere would be equal to September in the southern hemisphere. See  Christmas_in_Australia  for an example of this divergence.