Weather proverbs

In Short

Compiled in 1883 by the U.S. Signal Service, this work serves as an archive of "popular weather prognostics"—the aphorisms, rhymes, and observations used by farmers, sailors, and others to predict the elements. It blends these folk sayings with technical, region-specific reports from military observers, offering a dual perspective on the climate. The volume remains a fascinating artifact, capturing a moment when empirical science was beginning to replace generational intuition, yet still deeply respecting the practical, observation-based wisdom that helped people navigate the natural world for generations.

The Story

The narrative of the book is one of transition. It opens by acknowledging the deep human impulse to understand the environment, framing weather lore not as mere superstition, but as an accumulated record of lived experience. It begins with the formal request from the Chief Signal Officer for public cooperation, inviting citizens to submit local sayings, thereby validating the "close observation" of those whose livelihoods depend on the weather.

The body of the text unfolds as a massive, categorized ledger of these observations. It moves through the natural world, documenting how specific animal behaviors—from the braying of an ass to the restlessness of hogs—are interpreted as precursors to storms. It explores the celestial, noting how the moon’s appearance or the clarity of stars can signal incoming cold or fair conditions. It catalogs the botanical, where the behavior of chickweed or the falling of leaves acts as a seasonal clock. The text moves from the domestic—how candles flare or walls grow damp—to the grand, cataloging how the appearance of mist, rainbows, and cloud formations like "terraces" signify the arrival of rain or the duration of a drought.

As the book progresses, it shifts from these qualitative, often rhythmic proverbs to the quantitative. It introduces the mechanical: the use of the barometer, the mapping of meteorological districts, and the systematic tracking of wind quadrants. The ending provides a exhaustive, clinical list of regional indicators for specific American locales, from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountain slopes. It concludes with a list of contributors, effectively mapping the collective effort of a nation observing its own skies. The arc is complete: it starts with the ancient, poetic intuition that "the distant thunder speaks of coming rain" and ends with the modern, disciplined pursuit of data, where the barometer and the map provide the final word. It does not argue that the proverbs are false, but rather repositions them as a predecessor to the modern, instrumental weather reports offered by the Signal Service.

How It Unfolds

The call to observation The text establishes the importance of weather lore as a legitimate field of inquiry, requesting that the public share local sayings with the government. It explicitly separates these folk traditions from the formal, instrumental forecasts produced by military meteorologists.

Categorizing the natural world The book methodically sorts human experience into chapters based on the object of observation, such as birds, fish, trees, and the moon. This structure reveals the breadth of the human effort to find patterns in the chaotic behavior of the sky.

The shift to the instrumental The middle of the book transitions toward the scientific, detailing how temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure were monitored by the Army’s Signal Service. It bridges the gap between the "old ways" of watching an owl and the "new ways" of reading a barometric chart.

Regional data collection The final section provides a breakdown of meteorological behavior across the United States. It lists specific storm indicators for places like Cape Hatteras and the Ohio Valley, demonstrating how geography dictates the signs of approaching weather.

The People

The "people" in this work are not individual characters, but a collective of observers. First are the anonymous folk voices—the farmers, sailors, and local inhabitants who, over generations, crafted the proverbs. These individuals are motivated by necessity; they want to know when to plant, when to harvest, and when to seek shelter. They see the world as a system of signs where a "swollen joint" or a "bawling peacock" serves as a vital messenger.

In contrast, we find the Signal Service officers, such as H.H.C. Dunwoody and the meteorological experts like Ralph Abercromby. Their interest is professional and analytical. They act as curators, wanting to gather the folk wisdom but also wanting to replace its ambiguity with the precision of synoptic charts and isobars.

Finally, there are the correspondents, the hundreds of named individuals who sent their local lore to the government. They occupy a middle ground, serving as the bridge between the oral tradition of their ancestors and the formal recording requirements of the late 19th-century state. Each contributor ends the book as part of a formal record, their local knowledge transformed into a national archive, reflecting the shift from community-based wisdom to state-sponsored scientific documentation.

In Its Own Voice

When the clouds are upon the hills, They’ll come down by the mills.

This couplet is presented as a traditional, localized observation used to predict the movement of rain based on topographical features.

When the walls are more than usually damp rain is expected.

This simple, direct observation describes how domestic infrastructure served as a primitive hygrometer for households.

When rheumatic people complain of more than ordinary pains in the joints, it will rain.

The author links physical human discomfort directly to the atmospheric changes that precede a storm.

What It's Really About

The book is a study in the intersection of folklore and science. It poses the fundamental question of how humans relate to the natural world when they are at its mercy. It argues that proverbs were the proto-science of their time, representing a legitimate, empirical effort to categorize the environment. Yet, it also highlights the limitations of such observation: the proverbs are often beautiful and localized but lack the predictive consistency required for national meteorological coordination. Ultimately, the book is about the domestication of the atmosphere—the human attempt to turn the terrifying uncertainty of the weather into a readable, predictable map of signs and variables.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love atmospheric history, folklore, or the history of science will find this volume deeply rewarding. Reading it feels like walking through an old library of human survival; you hear the voices of people who had no app or satellite to guide them, only the behavior of a neighbor's goose or the color of a sunset. It is an honest, unvarnished look at a time when nature was the primary master of daily life.

The book is not a narrative; it is a reference work, which makes it best suited for dipping into rather than reading straight through. Modern readers should be prepared for the dense, list-heavy structure and the occasionally archaic, sometimes blunt attitudes toward "vulgar credulity" found in the scientific notes. The language is a mix of high Victorian prose and rhythmic, rustic verse. What stays with you is the sheer tenacity of the human spirit—the relentless, centuries-long effort to listen to the birds, watch the clouds, and look for a sign that says, "Stay inside today." It is a testament to the belief that if you look closely enough at the world, it might eventually tell you its secrets.