Predicting the Weather

2010-01-18

Over the years, people have tried to predict the weather based on natural occurring phenomena. Your students will find many of the following ways of predicting the weather to be interesting.

• If there is dew on the grass at sunrise, it probably won't rain that day. (This doesn't work if it rained during the night.)
• If there is a ring around the moon during the night, there will probably be rain within the next three days.
• If birds are flying very high in the sky, you can expect fair weather.
• Check the direction of the wind by throwing a small piece of grass in the air. If it blows towards the east, a storm may be on its way.
• If your hair curls up and gets frizzy, there is high humidity. This usually means heavy rain will occur.
• If you live on a farm, check the cows. They usually stay close together if bad weather is on the way.

Point out that none of these methods are truly scientific. Have your students check to see if they seem to work. Also have your students describe other natural prediction methods they may know.

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