TIP #528 - WHY ARE THE LEAVES TURNED INSIDE OUT? When I lived in Illinois, the expression was often heard, "if you don't like the weather in Illinois, wait ten minutes and it'll change." When I lived in Missouri, when I lived in Texas, and now in Kentucky ... same expression with little variation. Well, how was the weather in Kentucky for the new settlers and what are some of the things they checked to have an "up-to-date" weather report without the Weather Channel? For the pioneers coming from Virginia or nearby states, there wasn't much of a change. But everyone, since early settlement seem to have stated "we don't get the snows like we used to when I was a child." They're still being repeated today. Kentucky's climate is based a lot on its location - an interior location. They had (as we do today) hot and cold weather, but it is usually of short duration; snow remaining more than a few days is rather uncommon. So, what did the early settlers experience as they were building their new homes in Kentucky? The average temperature is 58 degrees in the Jackson Purchase area, and 52 degrees in the northern counties. January in Kentucky ranges from 36 to 29 degrees going south to north. July, the hottest month, has a variation of 78 in the south to 75 in the north. It is often seldom that the temperatures soar above 100 or dip below zero. Settlers were pleased with the length of the planting season as they cleared their lands and planted their first crops; Kentucky has an average of 210 days in the southwest to 170 in the eastern highlands of Kentucky. This normally allowed for bountiful crops for their families, livestock and to be taken to market and sold. What about that rain? Having gone through a week when I would have thrown a party to see sunshine, sometimes I doubt the statistics, but Kentucky has an average of 52 inches of rain in the southern part of the state to 41 inches in the north near the Ohio River. This also allows for good crop growth, another blessing of the early settlers down to today. My first impression of Kentucky was the beautiful shades of green from trees and grass; spring time is a marvel when the trees begin to leaf again. No wonder the early settlers so desired to move to the wilderness of Kaintuck based on the tales told by those who had visited or hunted here. When the weather turns cold, March is the month with the greatest chance for snow; the rains are heaviest in July with fall being the "dry season". October ranks highest with the least rainfall or snow; and Kentucky has suffered through many droughts. According to old records, the worst of the droughts occurred in 1854, 1881, 1894, 1901, 1904, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1954, 1986 and 1988. Thus, if you find your great-great-great grandfather listed as a farmer on the census records near the earlier dates, you can imagine how hard it was as he tried to save his crops. Mayfield KY endured a heat wave in 1930 when the temperatures reached the hundred mark and passed it; Greensburg in Green Co saw temperatures of 114 degrees the same month. Flooding does occur, normally happening in late winter or springtime due to the remains of hurricanes moving inland from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Flash floods often occur in the mountainous areas of eastern Kentucky. The winds are normally mild year around, averaging 10 mph. But how did the early settlers determine what the weather was going to be? Many of these expressions below occur in other states as well, they are not unique to Kentucky. What has this to do with genealogy? Well, it tells us how they tried to predict the weather to the best of their ability. Many of the sayings below (and there are likely a lot more), were actually based on scientific principles; many were iffy as to their accuracy. But can you picture your ancestor out in the field noting various objects as he walked behind the oxen; or the mother looking through the cabin door and warning the children to come in immediately? What fears they must have experienced in tornadoes, floods and heavy snows with no local forecaster to tell them what to expect. Children down to this time are aware of some of these expressions; we learned them from our parents who learned from their parents .... Enjoy. A coming storm your shooting corns presage, And aches will throb, your hollow tooth will rage. If your corns all ache and itch, the weather fair will make a switch A cow with its tail to the West makes the weather best, A cow with its tail to the East makes the weather least. A rain storm is coming if dandelions close their blooms tightly, morning glories tuck in their blooms as if ready for a long nap, clover folds up its leaves, leaves on many trees rollup or show their underside, cats will clean themselves more and meow more, cow and sheep will huddle together seeking comfort, horses "switch and twitch" and sometimes bolt, insects fly lower and bite more, and birds chirp louder. A round topped cloud, with flattened base, carries rainfall in its face. A ring around the sun or moon means a storm is coming. Count the stars within the ring and rain will come in that many days. Ash Wednesday wind continues in Lent. Cats and dogs eat grass before a rain Cold is the night, when stars shine bright. Count the cricket chirps to tell the temperature Count the seconds between lightning flashes and thunder booms to tell how far away the storm is. Crickets chirp faster as the temperature rises. Evening red and morning gray, send a traveler on his way. Evening gray and morning red, brings the rain upon his head. Expect the weather to be fair When crows fly is pairs Flies will swarm before a storm. Fog goes a hoppin', rain comes a droppin'; Fog in January makes a wet Spring; Feb fog means a frost in May Ice in November to bury a duck, the rest of the winter is slush and muck. If ants move their eggs and climb, rain is coming anytime. If bees stay at home, rain will soon come. If they fly away, fine will be the day. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright. Winter will have another flight. But if it be dark with clouds and rain. Winter is gone and will not come again. (Groundhog's Day) If February brings drifts of snow There will be good summer crops to hoe If the cat eats hay, then wait because on the next day, it will rain like a dog's day! If the clouds be bright, t'will clear tonight. If the clouds be dark, t'will rain, will you hark? If Ducks or Drakes their Wings do flutter high, or tender Colts upon their Backs do lie, if Sheep do bleat, or play, or skip about, or Swine hide Straw by bearing on their Snout, if Oxen lick themselves against the Hair, Or grazing Kine to feed apace appear, If Cattle bellow, grazing from below, Or if Dogs Entrails rumble to and fro, If Doves or Pigeons in the Evening come later than usual to their Dove-House Home, If Crows and Daws do oft themselves be-wet, Or Ants and Pismires Home a-pace do get, If in the dust Hens do their Pinions shake, Or by their flocking a great Number make, If Swallows fly upon the Water low, Or Wood-Lice seem in Armies for to go, If Flies or Gnats, or Fleas infest and bite, Or sting more than they're wont by Day or Night, If Toads hie Home, or Frogs do croak amain, Or Peacocks cry ... Soon after look for Rain! If it rains on Easter Sunday, it will rain every Sunday for 7 weeks If January has never a drop, the barn will need an open prop. If in February there be no rain, it is neither good for hay nor grain. March damp and warm, will do the farmer much harm. April cold and wet, fills the barns best yet. Cold May and windy, barn filleth up finely. If the moon shows a silver shield, Be not afraid to reap the field, But if she rises haloed round, Soon well tread on deluged ground. If the rooster crows on going to bed, You may rise with a watery head If woolly worms are dark, the coming winter wilt be severe It will rain the same time the next day if the sun shines while it rains. March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. Moss dry, sunny sky, moss wet, rain you'll get. No dew at night, rain by morning. No dew at morning, rain by next day. Onion skins very thin Mild winter coming in; Onion skins thick and tough Coming winter cold and rough Pale moon rains; Red moon blows. White moon neither rains or snows Plant your beans when the moon is light, You will find that this is right; Plant potatoes when the moon is dark, And to this line you'll always hark; But if you vary from this rule, You will find you are a fool; Follow this rule to the end. And you'll have lots of dough to spend Rain before seven quits before eleven. Rain in three days when the horns of the moon point down. Red skies at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Ring around the sun, time for fun. Ring around the moon, storm coming soon. Snow like cotton, soon forgotten. Snow like meal, will give a great deal. Some people sliced an onion into 12 pieces and sprinkled salt on them. They were put away and then examined several days later. Wet-looking slices indicated wet months. The louder the frog, the more the rain. The sky is red, the devil is dead, it's going to be good tomorrow. Three days of heavy morning fog, watch for bad weather in 90 days. The first snow comes six weeks after the last thunderstorm in September When oak is out before the ash, 'Twill be a summer of wet and splash. But if the ash before the oak, 'Twill be a summer of fire and smoke When bees stay close to the hive, rain is close by. When chairs squeak it's about rain they speak When clouds appear like rocks and towers, The earth will be washed by frequent showers. When clouds look like black smoke, A wise man will put on his cloak. When eager bites the thirsty flea, clouds and rain you sure shall see. When ladybugs swarm, Expect a day that's warm When leaves show their underside, be sure that rain betide. (I learned it was maple tree leaves). When pigs carry sticks, The clouds will play tricks; When they lie in the mud, No fears of a flood When sheep gather in a huddle, tomorrow we will have a puddle When smoke descends, good weather ends. When spiders' webs in air do fly, the spell will soon be very dry. When squirrels lay in a big store of nuts, look for a hard winter. When the ditch and pond affect the nose, Look out for rain and stormy blows When the forest murmurs and the mountains roar, close your windows and shut the doors. When the frog croaks in the meadow, there will be rain in three hours time. When the wind is blowing in the North, No fisherman should set forth, When the wind is blowing in the East, 'Tis not fit for man nor beast. When the wind is blowing in the South it brings the food over the fish's mouth. When the wind is blowing in the West, That is when the fishing's best! When Windows won't open, And the salt clogs the shaker, The weather will favour The umbrella maker! When you see 'sun dogs' (a bright spot on either side of the sun) look for rain When the clouds look like horsetails, rain or snow will come in 3 days. When the wind howls around corners and cracks, and down chimneys rain is coming. When your bone joints hurt a storm is coming (the older I get, the more I believe this one!) (c) Copyright 17 Feb 2005, Sandra K. Gorin Colonel Sandi Gorin SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html Sandi's Puzzlers: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/