Did anyone else love the weather as much as I did this weekend in New England? Blue skies with a bright sun, it seems that spring is finally here. Have you ever wondered about ways you can predict the weather, without having to look at the forecast? The sky, and specifically clouds, can tell a person a lot about what Mother Nature has in store for us. Here is what you can look for and what they mean:
Cirrus Clouds – Cirrus clouds look long and wispy and are high in the sky; they are also known as “a mare’s tail,” because of their appearance. If you see cirrus clouds, you can expect bad weather in the next day and a half.
Altocumulus Clouds – These clouds look like thinly scattered puffs or “mackerel scale.” They also are indicators of bad weather in the next 36 hours. Altocumulus clouds can be present at the same time as cirrus clouds; such a scene means that the likelihood of bad weather is very high. Sailors use a rhyme to remember this: Mares tails and mackerel scales, tall ships carry short sails.
Cumulus – Cumulus clouds are the ones that look large and fluffy. If you see a big, tall “tower” of cumulus clouds, you might be seeing rain later that day.
Clouds on a Winter Night – If you notice that it is very cloudy on a winter night, you actually can expect warmer weather the next day because less heat escapes from the earth on that night.
Clouds Going in Different Direction – Have you ever seen two layers of clouds going in different directions? Did you happen to notice that bad weather followed this phenomenon? When you see clouds going in different direction, bad weather might be on its way, possibly even hail!
Of course, this type of weather prediction won’t tell you about the weather beyond a few days, and there are no guarantees on any given day. But if we are being honest, even professional forecasters do not get their predictions right all the time.
