[Simulated (OP)]

I live in a farming area and I grew up thinking these are true, but I'm not sure anymore. Here they are.

1. White Caterpillars=a mild winter and Black Caterpillars=a terrible winter.

2. When the big dipper is tipped=we are going to get rain in the next 24 hours.

3. Leaves on trees turn over=we are going to get rain.

I'll have to ask my grandpa for more. These are the only ones I can remember. Thanks Sim!

[Karen W.]

A ring around the moon and rain in 1 days time!

[paul.fr]

Red sky at night, barn on fire.
Red sky in the morning, barn still on fire.

[kdlynn]

lol

[Karen W.]

Red sky at night, barn on fire.
Red sky in the morning, barn still on fire.

Hee hee hee!

[Simulated (OP)]

No NO are they true?

[Karen W.]

Red Sky at night Sailors delight.
Red sky in the morning sailors take warning!

[kdlynn]

doesn't look like you're getting an answer ryan. perhaps it's a mystery

[Nobody's Confidant]

It is. It's confidential and We can't tell you.

[Karen W.]

No NO are they true?

The red sky at night is supposed to be.. and is usually accurate about storms on the ocean.. etc.


Plant your crops by the light of the moon.. Thats a good one which my family followed for years!

[paul.fr]

The red sky at night is supposed to be.. and is usually accurate about storms on the ocean.. etc.

no, it's a tale and it happens to rhyme. now this should really be a topic in the enviroment section, but here goes.

This rhyme is old, nearly as old as JimBob, yes it's true.

It relies on observed weather patterns, a red sky in the morning implies that the sun ir rising in the east and shining on clouds to the west. Those clouds in the west being the approaching storm. Hence "Red sky in the morning sailors take warning"

Whilst this on occasion may be the case, it is not always and is dependant on mant factors such as the latitude of the clouds. just because it rhymes don't make it right.

[paul.fr]

No NO are they true?

no

[Simulated (OP)]

Oh. Ok. So the farmers were just drunk and just started saying random things about nature? Lol.

[paul.fr]

There is always some observed truth in such tales, Ryan. But you have to remember that these were coined before we had the knowledge and technology of today.
Another way to look at it is, if these tales were an exact way to make forecasts, why would so much money be invested in weather satellites and radar if we could simply look at the colour of the sky and star patterns?

Like i said before this really needs it's own topic in the "environment" section, it is really quite an interesting and very good question.

another factor that causes a red sky at night is that dust and smoke particles in the air absorb blue light and allow red light to pass through. Sort of similar to why the sky is blue.

The "ring around the moon" rhyme that Karen quoted, also has some truth in it. When we see this it can be because there are cirrus and or cirrostratus clouds at high latitudes. These types of clouds usually come before a low pressure system. The ring you see is the refraction of light caused by the moisture/rain or ice crystals/snow in the clouds.

There are many more people with a better knowledge of meteorology than i have, maybe they will answer your questions or correct what i have written.

[Simulated (OP)]

Thank for all the information Paul!