Weather proverbs

In this compact volume the reader is guided through a surprisingly systematic gathering of the weather sayings that have long guided farmers, sailors, and village folk across the United States. Compiled under the direction of a senior army signal officer, the collection brings together proverbs about animals, birds, clouds, dew, frost and many other natural cues, each accompanied by brief scientific commentary. The introduction explains how everyday observations—restless cattle, chirping birds, swelling wood—often echo the same patterns that modern meteorologists detect with instruments.

Beyond the folklore, the book offers a practical appendix of wind‑direction statistics and regional reports gathered by the Signal Service, showing which quadrants most often bring rain or snow in different districts. By juxtaposing popular prognostics with the limited data of 19th‑century weather stations, the work illustrates both the value and the limits of folk predictions. Listeners will come away with a richer appreciation for the ways ordinary people have tried to read the sky long before sophisticated forecasting existed.