• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Homestead on the Range

Abundant Living in Flyover Country

  • The Lifestyle
  • The Farm
  • The Garden
  • The Skills
  • The Business
  • The Sunflower State

Weather Folklore: Animal Prognosticators

October 13, 2014 by hsotr

Weather Folklore: Animal Prognosticators
Yellow-billed cuckoos

Some weather-related folklore depends on animals to predict the weather. You are probably already familiar with the groundhog and the woolly bear caterpillar, but there are quite a few more animal prognosticators out there!

Can we rely on animals for an accurate forecast? Let’s find out.

  • If the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, six more weeks of winter remain. If it does not see its shadow, spring has arrived.
    Fiction. The National Climatic Data Center estimates Punxsutawney Phil’s accuracy at 39%.
  • Hawks flying high means a clear sky. When they fly low, prepare for a blow.
    Fact. Birds tend to fly higher in dry, clear, high-pressure weather and lower in humid, cloudy, low-pressure weather.
  • When cows are lying down in a field, rain is on its way.
    Fiction. Sometimes cows lie down just to chew their cuds and rest their legs a little.
  • Chickens cackle and owls howl just before rain.
    Fiction. Chickens cackle whenever they lay eggs, and owls seem to hoot on most cool evenings.
  • Cats and dogs eat grass before a rain.
    Fiction. Cats and dogs will eat grass anytime they have upset stomachs.
  • The rain crow calls before a storm.
    Fact. A rain crow is a cuckoo, typically a yellow-billed cuckoo. These birds make a resonant ow ow ow ow on hot, muggy days, the kind that tends to breed thunderstorms.
  • Squirrels gathering nuts in a flurry, will cause snow to gather in a hurry.
    Uncertain. Many scientists discount this bit of folk wisdom, saying that the squirrel is just enjoying an unusually bountiful harvest thanks to favorable weather in the spring and summer. Others, however, claim to have used this adage with success.
  • A narrow brown band on a woolly bear means a harsh winter. A wide brown band means a mild winter.
    Uncertain. Modern scientists typically agree that the woolly bear’s band is not affected by coming weather. The width of the brown band on a woolly bear is primarily determined by genetics and developmental stage. Incidentally, the number of developmental stages that an insect goes through depends on temperature and humidity.
Weather Folklore: Animal Prognosticators
Woolly bear caterpillar

So are animals reliable prognosticators? Sometimes, sometimes not.

Those who are familiar with weather folklore observe that a forecast based on only one saying is rarely accurate. When several phenomena pointing toward the same forecast are observed, however, the folk sayings can be extremely reliable.

Perhaps we would all be better forecasters if we were better observers of nature.

Helpful Resource

The Old Farmer's Almanac Weather Notebook

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Weather Notebook
A good way to track the accuracy of weather sayings. Includes a daily dose of folklore. Read our full review.

Complete Series

Weather Folklore

Weather Folklore

Keep Reading...

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Nature, Weather

Avatar for hsotr

About hsotr

Motivated by her experience growing up on a small farm near Wichita, Kansas, Michelle Lindsey started Homestead on the Range to supply Kansas country living enthusiasts with the innovative resources that they need to succeed and has now been keeping families informed and inspired for over five years. Michelle is the author of three country living books. She is also a serious student of history, specializing in Kansas, agriculture, and the American West. When not pursuing hobbies ranging from music to cooking to birdwatching, she can usually be found researching, writing, or living out the country dream.

Before Footer

Footer

Stay Posted

Enter your email address to receive new posts via email.

Topics

Animal Health Birdwatching Books Breeding Cattle Dairy Dogs Draft Animals Enterprises Faith Family Field Crops Food Fruit Goats Health & Fitness History Horses Insect Pests Links Livestock Marketing Music Native Americans Nature Nutrition Ornamental Plants Outdoors Pastures Pets Planning Plant Health Poultry Quotes Scripture Passages Sheep Small-Scale Farming Soil Stewardship Supplies The West Travel Vegetables Water Weather

More Resources

  • Our Books
  • Our Guides
  • Our Newsletters
  • Quick Start Pages
  • The Gallery
  • The Homestead Bookshelf
  • Your Path to Abundant Living in Flyover Country

Affiliate Disclosure

Throughout this site you will find affiliate links to items that we have read or used and highly recommend. If you decide to use the links to make a purchase, please be aware that we will receive a small compensation. For more information, please read our affiliate disclosure. Thank you!

  • About
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Updates

Copyright © 2013–2021 All rights reserved. No content on this site may be reproduced in any way without prior written permission. By using this site you are agreeing to our terms of use.