Homeschool › Outdoor Skills › Weather WatchingWeather decides whether we picnic or stay home, and you can learn to read it yourself. The hiking pages of the 1911 Handbook for Boys say “Every cloud is a weather sign” and include old rhymes like “When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.” Here you can put those sayings to the test.
Things to try In any order, at your own pace. Tick what you've tried if you like keeping track; ticks stay on this device.
Start a weather diary Every day for two weeks, at the same time, write down the temperature, what the sky looks like, the wind, and any rain or snow. A good goal: you have 14 entries.Name the clouds Learn the five cloud types in the table and look for them. Sketch or photograph each one you spot. A good goal: you've found at least four types.Build a rain gauge Set a straight-sided clear jar in an open spot away from roofs and trees, and tape a ruler to its side. Check it at the same time each day and empty it after reading. A good goal: you've recorded rainfall after at least three rains.Read the wind Make a wind streamer from ribbon on a stick, or a simple wind vane, and use your compass to see which way the wind is blowing from. Winds are named for the direction they come from. A good goal: you've added wind direction to a week of diary entries.Time the thunder During a thunderstorm, watch from indoors. When you see lightning, count the seconds until the thunder, then divide by five to estimate how many miles away the storm is. A good goal: you've tracked a storm coming or going.Test an old saying Pick an old weather saying, such as the dew rhyme or “Red sky at night,” and check it every day for two weeks. Keep score of how often it was right. A good goal: you can tell your family whether the saying passed.Make your own forecast Using the clouds, the wind, and your diary, predict tomorrow's weather and write it down. Then compare it with the National Weather Service forecast and with what really happened. A good goal: five forecasts.Give a family weather report Give a weather report at dinner or breakfast, the way a TV meteorologist would, using your own observations. A good goal: you've given three reports.Five clouds to know Cloud What it looks like What it often means Cumulus Puffy white heaps with flat bottoms Fair weather, especially if they stay small Stratus A flat gray sheet, like fog off the ground Dull days, sometimes drizzle Cirrus Thin, wispy streaks very high up Fair now, but a change may come in a day or so Nimbostratus A thick, dark gray layer Steady rain or snow Cumulonimbus A huge tower, often with a flat anvil top Thunderstorms, heavy rain, sometimes hail
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