Ravings of a Mad Man: vol. 6.17
It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid then open it and remove all doubt
-Mark Twain
So this past weekend there was yet again another awesome rainstorm that blew through the Salt Lake Valley. I am always happy to wake up to heavy rain. The last statement was not sarcastic; I truly enjoy hearing the rain hit the roof as I walk from my slumber. I knew that they (they being the wise meteorologist that get the weather right 3% of the time) were predicting some rain and snow for the Wasatch front but I had no idea it was going to be that crazy of a storm. Do you want to know who did know about the storm? It was the ants. I was so angry on Saturday when I saw that the ants were out in full force pushing little ant size pieces of dirt onto my driveway. It was only a day later when I saw several hundred of the little guys on the concrete that I thought about how the day before the last storm the ants were out in full force too. So I used my research skills and googled "Ants predicting weather." Come to find that this among many other things can be used to predict the weather just as well if not better than a meteorologist. Here are a few of the items you can look for if you don't want to watch the news.
Plants release their waste in a low pressure atmosphere, generating a smell like compost and indicating an upcoming rain.
Swamps will release gasses just before a storm because of the lower pressure, which leads to unpleasant smells.
A proverb says "Flowers smell best just before a rain." Scents are stronger in moist air, associated with rainy weather.
If birds are flying high in the sky, there will probably be fair weather. (Falling air pressure caused by an imminent storm causes discomfort in birds' ears, so they fly low to alleviate it. Large numbers of birds roosting on power lines indicates swiftly falling air pressure.)
Seagulls tend to stop flying and take refuge at the coast if a storm is coming.
Animals, especially birds, get very quiet immediately before it rains.
Cows will typically lie down before a thunderstorm. They also tend to stay close together if bad weather's on the way.
Ants build their hills with very steep sides just before a rain.
Cats tend to clean behind their ears before rain.
Turtles often search for higher ground when a large amount of rain is expected. You will often see them in the road during this period (1 to 2 days before the rain).
A very old wives tale says if birds feed in a storm it will rain for a long time, if they don't it will clear soon.
Other things I have noticed in my life that are indicators of a storm are: If my mom has just washed her car then it will rain within 72 hours. I guess that is the only one I can think of right now.
Trivia Time: I guess New Brunswick as most awesome flag. It is a riddle, a skin have I, more eyes than one. I can be very nice when I am done. What am I?
Have a good week I know I will
Eric Jones
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This message was approved by Eric Jones
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