Cows lie down before a rain. Folk wisdom; cattle do sometimes settle ahead of pressure drops, but the correlation is weak.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Count cricket chirps in 14 seconds, add 40 — that's the temperature in °F. Dolbear's law, surprisingly accurate above 55°F.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Heavy dew at sunrise = no rain that day. Morning fog rises = fair weather; settles = rain coming.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

A ring around the moon means rain or snow within 3 days. The halo is ice crystals in cirrus clouds — typically the leading edge of a warm front.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Mare's tails (cirrus) + mackerel scales (cirrocumulus) = wet weather within 36 hours. A classic frontal indicator.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Onion skins thin and tender, winter mild and slender. Onion skins thick and tough, winter cold and rough. Old Almanac wisdom.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Split a ripe persimmon seed. A SPOON shape inside = heavy snow. A FORK = mild winter. A KNIFE = cutting cold wind. KY hill-folk forecast tradition.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor's warning. Reliable in mid-latitudes — a red sunrise often signals an incoming front.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

A bright orange sunset before a storm means heavy rain. A pink dawn means showers by afternoon. A green sky during a thunderstorm means hail is possible.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

Chimney smoke rising straight up = high pressure, fair weather. Drifting low = low pressure, storm coming.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

When chimney smoke hangs low, rain is coming. Falling pressure traps smoke near the ground.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain

Heavy nut-storing squirrels in autumn = hard winter. The cap on an acorn predicts: thick = cold winter, thin = mild.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

The first three fall frosts each measure something — first frost kills tender annuals, second frost yellows the leaves, third frost paints them.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

Thunder in February foretells a snow on the same date the following month. Old Appalachian saying.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

The weather on each of the 12 days from Dec 25 through Jan 5 predicts the weather for each of the 12 months of the coming year. Dec 25 = January, Dec 26 = February, and so on.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

When you first hear a whippoorwill in spring, count nights — 10 nights later is safe to plant tender crops.

Appalachian + KY hill-folk tradition (public domain)

The banded wooly bear caterpillar's brown middle band predicts winter severity. Wider brown = milder winter. Narrower = harder. Documented in Eastern KY since at least 1948.

Traditional Appalachian weather sayings, public domain