Old Wives Tales

beard&bow

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I read an article today, one that referenced an old wives tale that I've never heard. It said that the number of fog occurrences and the thickness of these fogs in August, is a direct indication of the winter we will have.

One winter tale I've found to be somewhat accurate is; In the winter months, if the smoke from the chimney touches the ground, it's clearing the way for the snow that follows.

With these hot days, I find winter more inviting than ever. What are some winter wives tales you've heard? Members from the North, feel free not to answer, it could be 90° on Christmas Eve and somehow yal'll have 8 feet of snow by Christmas morning.
 

buckman84

Eight Pointer
That's funny, I just heard an old friend of the family mention the fog tale the other day. He also told me something about thunderstorms in winter means snow is coming soon.
 

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
That's funny, I just heard an old friend of the family mention the fog tale the other day. He also told me something about thunderstorms in winter means snow is coming soon.

Some are rooted in truth while others not so much. The thunderstorm one can be true because in order to get thunderstorms in winter you need a clash of air masses which means a big cold shot coming in. I've seen that one be true and I've also heard thunder and never saw any snow afterwards.

One we heard a lot growing up was if the ring around the moon made a full circle at night then snow was coming.
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
When my Grandmother used to see large flocks of Birds busily feeding on the ground during winter she used to say colder weather was coming and maybe a snowstorm with it..
 

Bailey Boat

Twelve Pointer
When my Grandmother used to see large flocks of Birds busily feeding on the ground during winter she used to say colder weather was coming and maybe a snowstorm with it..

That one is true, I've witnessed it too many times. If you'll pay attention to wildlife they will give you a good 3 day forecast.....
 

dobber

Old Mossy Horns
Jetstreams are the same as the chimney smoke, its a change in the barometric pressure and a good indication of rain or snow
 

odie408

Ten Pointer
Some are rooted in truth while others not so much. The thunderstorm one can be true because in order to get thunderstorms in winter you need a clash of air masses which means a big cold shot coming in. I've seen that one be true and I've also heard thunder and never saw any snow afterwards.

One we heard a lot growing up was if the ring around the moon made a full circle at night then snow was coming.

Seven to ten days after the winter thunder snow or rain and the numbers of stars in the circle around the moon indicate the number of days till snow. We don't always have snow after the thunder but have rain if not snow.
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
I always thought the expression was "old wise tale." Never heard it called wives tales

I have heard the expression used both ways, old wise tales, or old wives tales maybe both are correct I'm not sure..

Grandmother also used to tell us kids, if it rains on a Monday it will rain for 2 or 3 Mondays in a row, often this is true.

A star close to the Moon is a sign of bad weather,, I have found this to be true at times ..

Walking with one shoe on and one shoe off always got me scolded by Grandmother, she said it was bad luck and she had superstitions about things as most older folks did of yesteryear..
 

downeastnc

Old Mossy Horns
People also tend to only remember when these old wives tales are right and not the majority of the time when they are wrong. Some also work better in other parts of the US than here, for example all the snow ones...some are pretty universal the rain before & clear by 11 one for instance does work out usually if its spring or summer but let it be winter and it will rain/drizzle 24 hrs straight a lot of days. The overall weather tends to run in patterns so rain/storms often repeat themselves every 5-7 days especially in the spring and winter, but the weather doesnt care what day of the week it is lol.
 

stilker

Old Mossy Horns
Some good ones related to animals...the higher in the tree a squirrel builds its nest the worse winter is going to be,the closer to the trunk it's built the windier it's going to be...the darker coons,possums etc fur is the worse winter is going to be.
 

willb

Eight Pointer
When my Grandmother used to see large flocks of Birds busily feeding on the ground during winter she used to say colder weather was coming and maybe a snowstorm with it..

animals and birds feel the change and feed in case winter weather covers ground food.
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
Some good ones related to animals...the higher in the tree a squirrel builds its nest the worse winter is going to be,the closer to the trunk it's built the windier it's going to be...the darker coons,possums etc fur is the worse winter is going to be.

Yep, old wives tales related to animals..When I was growing up some people used to look at a Dog's coat and if it was thicker than usual in the late fall that was a sign of a very cold winter..I have noticed that myself with Dogs and with Mules..My Grandpa's Mules at times did grow a thicker coat of hair on their bodies before it got really cold..I have no idea if that thicker and longer hair growth was related to the weather .
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
# of foggy days in August = # of snows in the winter. I have never held stock in that saying.

Thunder storms in winter = some type of frozen precipitation within 10 days. I have really never seen this fail, it might just sleet for a few seconds but it happened. It has all to do with cold are and the normal frequency of low pressures moving across the region.

Smoke coming to the ground rain = rain within three days. That is smoke coming to the ground with no wind, can't count the wind causing it. This has all to due with the normal frequency between high and low pressures.

Using the latter two and watching animals the people at work wonder why I get the weather right more than a meteorologist.
 

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
I have a neighbor 95 years young. She does the fog survey in August and it's relation ship to the number of snows in the following winter. She has been doing this for many, many years and I was surprised at how accurate her records are.

I also have heard of the thunderstorm in winter and the stars within a circle around the moon.
 
Last edited:

witler

Eight Pointer
The only ones that I am familiar with are:
- Thunder in winter, snow in 10 days, G. Fishel actually gave credit to this once on the TV.
- Smoke travel down to ground
- Little birds, we called them snowbirds, feeding frenzy, snow coming
- Circle around the moon, size of the circle determined amount of rain it was holding.
- Acorn crop determined type of winter coming
 

Newsome Road

Ten Pointer
Not winter related, but I've always heard that if you get bit by a turtle, it won't let go until it thunders.

I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I can tell you that when my three year old nephew got bit by a slider, his mom must have beat on that turtle's shell hard enough to make him think it was thundering! She "persuaded" it to let go after only a minute or so!
 

Soilman

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Don't forget about the wooly worms. Then there is something about the pit of a persimmon being shaped like either a spoon or a fork.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
Here's one for you deer hunters,when you have a big bear and big buck in the same woods when the bear moves the buck is going to move to.
 

dpc

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I Remeber reading something about cutting an onion on New Years. Suposee to do with thickness of layers and or some crap.
 
Top