Observe animals and you'll see that they, too, have their own ways of predicting weather. Here are some animal weather proverbs and prognostics:
- Expect rain when dogs eat grass, cats purr and wash, sheep turn into the wind, oxen sniff the air, and swine are restless.
- If the bull leads the cows to pasture, expect rain; if the cows precede the bull, the weather will be uncertain.
- When cats sneeze, it is a sign of rain.
- When cattle lie down in the pasture, it indicates early rain.
- Bats flying late in the evening indicates fair weather.
- If the groundhog sees its shadow on Candlemas Day (February 2), six more weeks of winter remain.
- When horses and cattle stretch out their necks and sniff the air, it will rain.
- If the mole digs its hole 2½ feet deep, expect severe weather; if two feet deep, not so severe; if one foot deep, a mild winter.
- When pigs gather leaves and straw in all, expect a cold winter.
- When rabbits are fat in October and November, expect a long, cold winter.
- If sheep ascend hills and scatter, expect clear weather.
- Wolves always howl more before a storm.
Did we miss any? Please share comments on how animals predict the weather!
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Comments
By Connor
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If you see a halo around the sun or the moon, then expect a rainstorm very soon.
By mark in sc
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My grandmother always said, "Thunder before 7(am), clear before 11(am)."
By animal lovers
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So the comments above agree with my findings. The honets nest are low the the ground this year and the wooly bears are mostly black and my horse and dog are doing a really weird shedding thing that I have never seen . So I suggest make sure you have extra wood in the shed and buy a few more sweaters. I think we are in for an old fashioned VT winter.
By tami clark
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is it true when pine cones are all the way on top of pine tree , theres gonna be a bad winter with lots of snow.
By Horse & Dog Owner
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I noticed strange shedding action this year (2012)...the horses all started heavily shedding their summer coats in July - have never seen them start shedding before August; September is more common. Yet no winter coats are growing in yet, just continued summer shedding. Also the dogs have been sheadding heavily since about the same time. Again, not seeing any winter hair yet though. Are we in for another mild winter? The Old Farmer's Almanac says colder & drier than normal?
By ba hu
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yes my horse been shedding too, and her wintercoat is already coming in , over night she got all fuzzy :))
By Natalia Koroleva
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1.Before heavy floods (in the middle of bright clear day) Termites and ants carry their eggs UP: on the tree, wood posts...anything high above the ground
2. Before cold spells cat will seek high ground: top of the furniture, chest...there also tendency to find "hiding place"
3. Before rain mosquitoes and flies became aggressive and blood thirsty.
4. Smoke from fire place will be going down, to the ground (due to pressure drop) 5. Allergy will increase but mood - decrease (Please note it... before you get in fight with your spouses and children)
6. Bubbles in the puddle indicate long rain. 7. Frog's and crickets "singing" plus clouds of tiny flies (in the air, in front of your face) indicates long warm spells
By That Guy
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Ive also heard that when thefrogs croak before midnight expect a short shower but if they croak after midnight expect a long rain
By sstevenson
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Two I been using past 10 years. Seems pretty accurate. White furry caterpillars by first half of october bad snowy winter.
The best one, If you notice calf have a winter coat by September the coming winter will be cold and snowy.
By SongWolf
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When Betta Splendens (Siamese Fighting Fish) leap, expect thunderstorms. Not a proverb, just something I've noticed over the years.
By Cindy Lou M
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When cats and dogs shed more fur than usual during the summer and their coats thin out, expect a hot, dry spell.
When there might be tornado activity nearby, you will see a pale yellow tint in the sky. Take cover.
By Deb Weinischke
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If birds keep active during a rain, the rain will continue. If they shelter, then the rain will soon stop.
By ALonelyHeart
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I've never heard that before, but it seems like it's backwards. Seems like birds would stay out if the rain was soon to stop, but go in if it was going to rain for awhile.
By centralcoastcowboy
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If you see tarantulas in the middle of the road they are seeking high ground and you can expect 1/2 inch of rain or more
By Redmink
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Here's another one:
"If foxes bark after midnight, expect rain."
By SongWolf
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I've a Chihuahua, which is decended from the Fennec Fox. He will bark no matter the time, if he thinks something is needed to be brought to my attention. So, I don't really see this as fact.
By suzie q
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i also heard that you can tell how bad the winter is going to be by where the hornets nest are built down low bad winter up high mild winter then some people say its the opposite way i dont know for sure which it is if any of you know reply back
By Almanac Staff
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Hi, Suzie, Yes! There's an old saying, "When hornets build their nests near the ground, expect a cold and early winter."
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