Unscientific Weather Forecasting P2

by Hattie Dyck

Part Two of a Four Part Series taken from her personal book: Amazing Tales from Nova Scotia published in 2021.

   Over the years Dorothy (Mansfield) Hubley, South Maitland, has always watched the clouds to predict the weather. She says if you see a dark cloud in the distance, you can bet it’s going to rain. If the cloud is really black you can anticipate a downpour.

   Leonard Fraser, Millbrook, Pictou County, deems a mackerel sky (clouds in the shape of a mackerel) means it’s going to rain. He also watches where the bees nest. If their nest is low to the ground, it means an easy winter with less snow than usual. A fellow horseman, John Hayes, Charter Settlement, New Brunswick, also uses the mackerel sky to forecast rain. If he sees it he believes it will be at least 24h ours before dry weather comes again. Mr. Hayes also watches the movement of cows in the pasture. If they are seeking cover, he expects the storm to be a bad one.

   Vernon Pinch, Wallbrook Mountain, remembers his father Peter telling him never to plant flowers before the first frost in June. He would look at the hardwood trees in the pasture and if there was more orange in the leaves than usual it was the sign of less snow. At haying time, he would try to get the hay in before the tide came in as he believed the rain came up the bay with the tide. He also believed if it rained on St. Swithin’s Day which is July 15th, it would rain for 40 days.

   Jean Long, Truro, enjoys listening to her neighbor Flo Weatherbee forecast the weather. Mrs. Weatherbee says little snowflakes means a big snowfall and big snowflakes mean only a small amount will come down. She also says if there’s fog in the hollow a fine day will follow. Mrs. Weatherbee has a warning for would be fishermen. Shesays if the wind is from the west the fish won’t bite. Another of her warnings is that “it’s better to never clear up than to clear up at night.”

   Marilyn Butler, Toronto, forecasts the weather by the sky. She says a red sky in the morning, sailors take warning, and a red sky at night is a sailor’s delight.

   Margaret Gormley, Pictou, recalls how her mother, the late Margaret Magee of Belfast, Ireland, knew it was going to rain. A red patch would appear on her forehead which was seen by all her nine children as well as others who came by. When the rain began the patch would leave. Mrs. Gormley says as odd as it sounds it’s a true tale.

   Joyce MacEachern, Tatamagouche, recalls her great grandmother Maisie Geddes from Truro used to say that if you can see enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of pants the rain is over.

   Joyce believes when the leaves on the trees turn upside down it is a sign of rain, also when the earth worms (commonly known as angle worms) come to the surface it means rain is on the way.

The late Ed Lorraine, Upper Onslow believed that if the cones were clustered high on the trees it meant there would be lots of snow the coming winter. The former Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture agreed with the late Martin McNutt who foretold the coming winter by a strip of fat on a pig known as a pallet. The old timers usually had a pig to kill for winter meat for their family. If the pallet was long and thin it would be an easy winter but if it was thick there would be lots of snow.

   Vince Chambers, A Five Island’s horseman, said his father used the same method. If the pallet was thicker near the pig’s head the early part of the winter would be the worst. If it was thicker near the tail, there would be more snow in February and March. Mr. Chambers said the old-time maple sugar producers believed that the direction the wind was blowing on the third day of March would tell its direction for the next 90 days. Rain, he said, would always come if you could see the horses yawning frequently.

   Bernie Tattrie, Tatamagouche, had a slightly different approach. He said the horses would be frequently yapping if it was going to rain. Bernie also recalled his father, the late Sam Tattrie used to say if the owl hoots from the north it will be fine weather.

   Joy Morash, Kennetcook, notes that cats frequently sneeze before a rainstorm.

    Reg Smith, Green Hill, Pictou County, predicted a tough winter if there was lots of fruit and berries. This was nature’s way of preparing for it. His father would predict the winter by the black band on the caterpillar. The wider the band the more severe the winter would be. He said older people put a lot of stock in the moon. Vegetables that grow above ground should be planted in the light of the moon while root vegetables like potatoes can be planted in the dark of the moon.