A Brief History of Weather Proverbs
Red Sky at Night…and other useful weather indicators

Most sportsmen are familiar with the old saying, “red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”

Outdoorsmen view the “red sky at night” proverb as gospel–and they’re right, literally. It is, in fact, a quote from the Bible, found in Matthew 16:2-3.

When asked to show a sign from heaven, Jesus replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’”

Savvy sportsmen are far more likely to plan their trips around the “red sky at night” forecast than the wishy-washy predictions of “40 percent chance of rain” or “winds from 5 to 15 miles an hour” offered by their favorite television weatherman.

Here’s a list of never-fail weather proverbs sportsmen can use to plan their outings, compliments of Mother Nature:

• When ditches and swamps offend the nose, look for rain and stormy blows.
  
  
• The higher the clouds, the better the weather.
  
  
• When chimney smoke descends, good weather ends.
  
  
• When leaves show their undersides, be very sure that rain betides.
  
  
• When clouds look like black smoke, a wise man will put on his cloak.
  
  
• When ducks and geese feed all day, bad weather is on the way.
  
  
• Wind from the west, fishing is best; wind from the north, fishermen go forth; wind from the south blows the bait in the fish’s mouth; wind from the east, fishing is least.
  
  
• Some old-timers believe nature provides clues to long-term weather patterns as well. For example, on the prairies, Native Americans and early settlers believed that a heavy crop of buffaloberries foretold a long, snowy winter.
  

Then there’s the one about the woolly caterpillar: A wide stripe, legend has it, is an omen of a severe winter. Or the one about squirrels burying their acorns and nuts early as a sign of a severe winter.

Plus…a Few Lesser-Known (but equally reliable) Weather Proverbs

Here are some little-known, previously unpublished weather proverbs guaranteed by Delta’s scientific staff to be at least as accurate as the 6 o’clock news:

• The opening day of duck season will be the nicest day of the entire fall.
  
  
• The opening of fishing season will be the coldest, windiest, wettest day of spring.
  
  
• Washing your pickup will bring rain within 24 hours.
  
  
• When driving 200 miles to your favorite duck blind pulling a boat heavy with gear, expect a strong headwind both coming and going (also known as the 5 miles per gallon factor).
  
• During your once-a-year, weeklong duck-hunting trip, the wind will never rise above a whisper and clouds will be rare as polar bears in Arkansas (also known as the you-should-have-been-here-last-week factor).
  
  
• When your graphite fishing rod begins to hum and vibrate in your hand, it’s time to head for shore (also known as the yes-the-fish-are-biting-like-crazy-but-you’re-going-to-be-dead-a-long-time factor).
  
  
• When you see a farmhouse, a little girl and a dog swirling over your favorite fishing spot, it’s time to reel in and head for the dock.
  
  
• If you catch your Chessie putting on electric socks, it’s time to think about layering.
  
  
• If your flapping-wing decoy flies south, bad weather is at hand.
  
  
• When you can’t pick hens from drakes because they’re all wearing Thinsulate suits, winter’s first blast is just around the corner.
  
  
• And finally, when your editor goes 6-for-6 pass-shooting ducks in a 40 mile-an-hour wind…it’ll be a cold day in you-know-where.