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Long before weather apps and satellites, farmers, sailors, and nature lovers relied on weather proverbs and folklore to predict rain, clouds, and storms. From the famous “red sky at night” to curious dew-based sayings, these old-fashioned sayings help us understand nature and its rhythms. Learn how to read the sky like the ancients—and maybe predict tomorrow’s weather!
Weather Proverbs: Rain and Clouds
- Unusual clearness in the atmosphere, with distant objects seen distinctly, indicates rain.
- Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.
- Evening red and morning gray are sure signs of a fine day. Evening gray and morning red, put on your hat or you’ll wet your head.
- If it rains before seven, it will clear before eleven.
- Rain from the south prevents the drought, but rain from the west is always best.
- Anvil-shaped clouds bring on a gale.
- A cloud with a round top and flat base carries rainfall on its face.
- When small clouds join and thicken, expect rain.
- Black clouds in the north in winter indicate approaching snow.
- When there is enough blue sky to patch a Dutchman’s breeches, expect clearing weather
- A curdly sky will not leave the earth long dry.
- If you see clouds going crosswind, there is a storm in the air.
- Hen scarts and filly tails make lofty ships wear low sails.
- Clouds floating low enough to cast shadows on the ground are usually followed by rain.
- Mackerel sky, mackerel sky, never long wet, never long dry.
- If three nights dewless there be, ‘twill rain, you’re sure to see.
- If a heavy dew soon dries, expect fine weather; if it lingers on the grass, expect rain in 24 hours.
- With dew before midnight, the next day sure will be bright.
- If you wet your feet with dew in the morning, you may keep them dry for the rest of the day.
Did you know? Many proverbs are based on truth! Understand the science behind weather proverbs.
Did we miss any? Share your favorite weather lore!
More Like This
if it thunders in Feb. it will frost in May
most people say red sky in morning sailors warning and so on but my family say sheppard instead of sailor
its raining cats and dogs
My Dutch sister in-law always say,"If there is enough blue in the sky to patch a Dutchman's pants, it won't rain today."
The phrase, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in the morning, sailor's take warning" is actually a British phrase (so I've heard anyway). Because their weather movement directions are reversed compared to ours, we should technically reverse the rhyme! When I do this, the rhyme is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT accurate for we New Englanders! Cool, huh?
Big snow, no snow. Small snow, lots of snow.
If the sun shines during a rain storm, it will rain the same time tomorrow.
A mackerel sky is filled with a regular pattern of altocumulus clouds somewhat resembling the skin of a mackerel. I think a curdly sky is the same as a "buttermilk sky" also patterned formations but more like lumpy cloud puffs- reminds me of the Hoagy Carmichael song "Ole buttermilk sky, I'm keepin' my eye peeled on you -What's the good word tonight -are you gonna be mellow tonight?"
In England we have a little rhyme.
Mackerel sky,mackerel sky,not long wet,not long dry.
curdled sky is the same as buttermilk sky - that was one of the ways my grandfather watched for rain. Curdled/Buttermilk sky is usually altocumulus clouds -usually on a warm and humid summer morning & usually followed by thunderstorms. We dont have mackerels in this area so I guess that mackerel sky never became a catch phrase down in my neck of the woods.
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