Weather Indicators

Remember when pet rocks were all the rage? The note that was sold with each rock stated that it was a weather rock and was helpful when determining conditions. Information on the note simply stated if the rock was wet, it was raining. If it was dry, well then, it wasn’t raining. That was all well and good for a laugh, a chuckle or maybe just a slight smile. What did you have after that moment? Just a dumb rock and a stupid note. Probably not even memorable enough to put into a dusty old junk drawer.

Old timers are constantly referring to body parts when predicting the weather. A rheumatic knee, an aching bunion or a sore back may foretell an upcoming storm. Sometimes.

Until my body parts become more predictable, I will continue to rely on the old standard of morning dew. If the grass is damp in the morning, it is unlikely to rain on that day. When the dew is missing, and the grass is dry as the sun comes up, there is a threat a storm is brewing just beyond the horizon. This is true even if the sky is clear at daybreak and the day looks sunny.

The fog is another forecaster that gives clues for planning the day. I look out to the hillside in the morning to determine what the fog is doing. If the fog hangs low in the field and exposes the top of the hill, the weather inversion will hold the moisture as a blanket, and ground level will remain warmer than the higher elevation.

When fog is moving quickly, it is time to pay attention to the wind. Winds from the east suck the moisture out of the atmosphere, making summer days hotter and winter days colder than average. The fog on east wind days won’t hang around for more than just a wisp or two as they rise from the tall timber and evaporate.

Breezes from the west usually are bringing in rain from the ocean. The fog can dance along the hill and through the field for a whole day before the rain arrives at the farm.

On this day, no wind moved the fog as it advanced and receded throughout the morning. Birds were taking advantage of the calm morning and alternated between graceful ballets in the sky and calm chattering with neighbor birds on the power wire. So until my body parts give me daily weather updates, I will continue to watch the sky. This day it was a beautiful morning to pull up a deck chair and watch nature play to its own rhythms.