Digging up a different Word of the day can be difficult at times, but it does lead me to find some interesting things. When looking for weather gage, I ran across some other interesting weather related items, so I figured, why not.

We have all heard the saying, “Red sky at night, Sailors delight. Red sky at morning, Sailors take warning.” This actually has some truth.

In the mid latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, storms generally travel with the jet stream from west to east. A red sky in the morning may indicate that is rising in clear eastern skies and casting its rays on storm clouds approaching from the west. A red sky at sunset indicates clouds to the east, with clear skies moving in from the west, allowing the sunset to be seen. Part of this gets into physics and makes a good deal of sense. It has to do with light refraction and all that.

There are also a few other weather sayings that come from sailors. The reason weather is important to sailors is obvious, you are all alone out in the middle of the ocean. Also predicting where the wind might come from can be useful in sailing battles.

A ring around the sun or moon means rain or snow coming soon.

If a circle forms around the moon, Twill rain soon. The circle that forms around the sun or moon is called a halo. Halos are formed by the light from the sun or moon refracting as they pass through the ice crystals that form high-level cirrus and cirrostratus clouds. These clouds do not produce rain or snow, but they often precede an advancing low pressure system which may bring bad weather. This form of weather prediction is accurate about 65% of the time.

Rainbow to windward, foul fall the day rainbow to leeward, rain runs away.

A windward rainbow indicates rain upwind, so it may begin raining soon. A rainbow behind the wind or to leeward implies the rain has probably past.

Sun sets Friday clear as bell. Rain on Monday sure as heck.

Cold is the night when the stars shine bright.

The more moisture there is in the sky, the more the light from the sun, moon, and stars is dimmed or reddened. A very clear sky permits more starlight to penetrate, thus the stars appear brighter. Moisture tends to hold in the day's heat, like a blanket. The less moisture there is in the air at night, the more the temperature tends to fall. The brighter the stars appear the cooler is the night. Anyone who lives in northern states can attest to this. I remember many a morning while delivery papers in the winter. If there were a full moon and it was bright outside, it was so cold.

If clouds are gathering thick and fast, Keep sharp look out for sail and mast, But if they slowly onward crawl, shoot your lines, nets and trawl.

In the morning mountains. In the evening fountains.

The mountains refer to high, billowing cumulus clouds, indicative of instability and possible development of cumulonimbus clouds and a late afternoon or evening thunderstorm.

Just a few ways sailors tell the upcoming weather. Pay attention next time and see fi any of these hold true. Let us know.