How to know if it will rain at night

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Is it just me or is the evening forecast becoming less and less reliable? No offense to weatherman but it just seems like the weather has a mind of its own and it will never be tamed with computer predictions. (Seems like that’s proved year after year with the Farmer’s Almanac!)

How to know if it will rain at night

I’ve always been a big believer in the “crazy” weather prediction methods. I knew that if my grandma’s knees hurt than we were in for some rain. And if the cattle started moving quickly to a corner of the field you better be prepared to get indoors as fast as possible.

There are many methods for reading the sky, the animals, and our own bodies to help predict the weather and today you are going to learn all about them. Here are some ways that you can predict the weather forecast.

Note: It’s also a good idea to always have a good weather radio around just in case. Here’s the one that we have and here’s how to decode weather radio warnings!

Cloud Predictions:

  • Cumulonimbus clouds (traditional thunderstorm looking clouds) early in the day and developing throughout the day can mean greater chances of severe weather.
  • Mammatus cloud (the puffy, pocket looking clouds) can form with both severe and non-severe thunderstorms as well as other cloud types.
  • Cirrus clouds (the stringy fluffy ones), high in the sky like long streamers, mean bad weather within the next 36 hours
  • Altocumulus clouds, (look like fish scales), also “mean” bad weather within the next 36 hours. The sailor’s saying  is “Mares tails and mackerel scales, tall ships carry short sails.” Rain is sure to follow the next day.
  • Cumulus towers(look like an explosion in the sky)  indicate the possibility of showers later in the day.
  • Nimbostratus clouds (rain clouds) hang low and heavy in the sky, and mean rain is imminent.
  • Cirrocumulus clouds (small, puffy in rows) means that cold weather is on its way.
  • The higher the clouds the fairer the weather.

How to know if it will rain at night

The Sky:

  • If you see a red sky during sunset (when you’re looking to the west), there is a high-pressure system with dry air that is stirring dust particles in the air. Means dry air is moving towards you (no rain ahead but the wind is sure to follow).
  • A red sky in the morning (in the East, where the sun rises) means that the dry air has already moved past you, and what is behind it will now follow. (Rain or storm)
  • Look for rainbows in the morning. A rainbow in the west means moisture is on its way, a rainbow in the east means the rain has left the area.
  • If there is a ring around the moon at night, snow or rain will come in the next 3 days.

Smell:

  • If you take a deep breath and smell earth and compost, moisture is coming soon.
  • If you flowers smell stronger than normal, rain is on its way.

How to know if it will rain at night

Animals:

  • If the birds are flying high in the sky, fair weather will stay around.
  • If cattle seek a corner of a field or lie down in a group in the fields, a severe storm is imminent.
  • Cats will clean their ears before a rain.
  • Spiders come down from their webs before a rain.
  • The louder the frogs, the more the rain.
  • Ants will build their anthills with steeper walls when rain is coming.
  • When dogs eat grass, rain is coming.
  • Bats flying around in the evening indicates fair weather.
  • To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count number of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get the temperature.

How to know if it will rain at night

Other:

  • If there is dew on the grass in the morning, chances are it won’t rain that day.
  • If you make a fire outside and the smoke goes straight up, you will have good weather. If the smoke curls and wisps then a low-pressure system (rain) is on its way)
  • If it rains before seven, it will clear before eleven.
  • If three nights dewless there be,  ’twill rain, you’re sure to see.
  • With dew before midnight, the next day sure will be bright.

There is evidence that if you spend enough time outside and in the earth, your body will tell you and give you signs when certain weather is approaching. (Such as the sore knees before a rainstorm!) Many old farmers have their own unique ways of predicting the weather and they are often correct!

Many of these are ways to tell if rain is coming but we’ve already posted ways to discover what winter weather will be like in case you want to check that out too!

How to know if it will rain at night

One of my favorite ways to help predict the weather is by looking at the Glass Barometer that we have. It’s so easy to tell when bad weather is on the way by seeing what the pressure is during the day. We have this Glass Wall Barometer hanging in our living room, I think it’s beautiful!

Which ways of predicting the weather have you found to be the most accurate? Do you have any “body signs” of impending weather?

How to know if it will rain at night

How to know if it will rain at night

The British weather is unpredictable but there are ways that nature can help to give us an indication that the rain is on its way.

In the past, man relied solely on his observation of the sky and the way plants and animals behaved to predict the weather. Accumulated experience was handed down in rhyme or linked to certain dates in the calendar, and became the subject of many old wives tales. Of course, we know now that this was not a reliable way to generate a weather forecast.

There were many parts of nature that were used to foretell the weather – some more bizarre than others. Seaweed and pinecones were traditionally used due to the reactive nature of them. But while a piece of seaweed might well become slimy when humidity is high, an open pinecone , despite popular opinion, is not a reliable indicator of dry weather.

However that doesn't mean that there is nothing in that can be used to indicate changes in the weather. For example, dandelions close when it clouds over and, on the other hand, scarlet pimpernels close when humidity increases.

How to know if it will rain at night

How to know if it will rain at night

People have also historically looked to animals to as an indicator of the weather. For example, high-flying swallows are probably chasing insects on updrafts of warm air, which is a sign of stable, fine weather. A well-known fable states that the cows will lie down in their fields when wet weather is pending. It is actually much more likely to be that they are simply chewing the cud or resting rather than waiting for rain. Bees, on the other hand, do not like the wet weather and will remain by the hive if rain is on its way – so if it is looking overcast in the summer months and you think there is a significant lack of bees around, there could well be a downpour!

How to know if it will rain at night

Almost everyone learns: ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in morning, sailor’s warning’, which actually has its roots in the bible (Matthew 16:2-3). Despite sounding far fetched this often holds true. British weather usually comes from the west, so a clear evening sky heralds fine weather, while a red morning sky can be caused by high cirrus clouds at the leading edge of a front. Similarly, the high wispy clouds of ‘Mare’s tails and mackerel scales’ indicate an approaching front.

'Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in morning, sailor’s warning’

How to know if it will rain at night

Many ditties also refer to the moon. Cloudless night-time skies in winter allow the heat of the day to dissipate quickly and, without a breeze, ‘clear moon, frost soon’ was often a reliable predictor of a cold snap. The tiny ice crystals in thin, high cloud can refract the light of the sun or moon to create a soft surrounding radiance, and ‘Halo around the sun or moon, rain or snow soon’ foretells the possibility of an advancing front with its precipitation.

Rainbows can be striking phenomena and are caused by the refraction and reflection of sunlight through droplets of moisture in the air. They always appear in the opposite direction to the sun and in the afternoon often materialise after a heavy shower. However, ‘Rainbow in the morning gives fair warning’ indicates rain in the west and generally heading your way.

How to know if it will rain at night

Finally, there are some weather theories that are associated with special days; Candlemas Day (2 February – a double winter), St Swithin’s Day (15 July – forty days’ rain) and Michaelmas Day (29 September – snow at Christmas). Whilst interesting, these are pure superstition and have become established because people only remember the years on which the prophesy was fulfilled.

Essentially, short-term area meteorological forecasts can be reasonably accurate, but a reliable long-range prognosis is a much greater challenge. In Wales they say ‘When you can see the hills, it’s going to rain; when you can’t see the hills, it is raining!’

How to know if it will rain at night

Have you got a favourite weather saying, or a foolproof way of predicting rain? Tell us in the comments!