October (and November) Weather Lore

[chionomaniac]

After seeing Valiants post in the MOD thread about St Lukes Little Summer, it made me search for October weather lore to help predict the forthcoming winter. So here are a few. Does anyone think they hold true or are there any more that we can add here?

Rain in October

Means wind in December.

When birds and badgers are fat in October,

Expect a cold winter

When berries are many in October

Beware a hard winter.

In October dung your fields

And your land its wealth shall yield.

If ducks do slide at Hallowtide,

At Christmas they will swim;

If ducks do swim at Hallowtide

At Christmas they will slide.

Always will there be Twenty-nine fine days in October.

If the October moon comes without frost,

expect no frost till the moon of November.

c

[Guest]

My step-father used to speak of an abundance of berries being a sign of a hard winter to come and over the years I have looked for some corrolation to suppport this but failed dismally.

In Lincolnshire in my youth some used to say that a dry autumn led to a snowy winter whilst a wet autumn led to below average snow for the winter. Not sure whether this is true either, though it is possible that a high set up for the autumn and winter could lead to weaker westerly flows, hence more cold and snow in the winter - perhaps somebody with access to the stats might be able to come up with something.

[Coast]

Ah yes weather lore, great subject (and possibly as accurate as some computer models!!! :lol: )

Dry your Barley in October

Or you'll always be sober

When it freezes and snows in October,

January will bring mild weather

But if it is thundering and heat lightning,

The weather will resemble April in temper

If October brings heavy frosts and winds

Then January and February will be mild

For every fog in October

A snow in Winter

Heavy or light according

as the fog is heavy or light

If in the fall of the leaves in October

Many of them wither on the bows and hang there

It beckon a frosty Winter and much enow

This one is also shortened to:

If the oak wheres its leaves in October

You may expect a hard Winter

As the weather in October, so

it will next in March

Taken from the book 'Red Sky at Night' by Paul Marriott - Weather lore of the English Countryside ISBN 0 9595730 5 1 (Out of print now I think)

[chionomaniac]

Perhaps we should add some modern day equivalents:

If the October NAO negative should be,

We will miss out winter altogether, you'll see.

[ForeverPomeroysnow]

Local lore (Pomeroy Co.Tyrone) points to the swallows, if in October the swallow stays the winter will be mild, if in September the swallow goes the winter will be cold....

The swallows left in September this year, this last 5 years they have stayed into the second week of October!

[SP1986]

There probably is some link between nature and weather but only in hindsight, as nature can't show visual predictions of the weather. Still they're interesting to read and interesting in a cultural perspective.

[Coast]

There probably is some link between nature and weather but only in hindsight, as nature can't show visual predictions of the weather.

Perhaps we should sign up that Derren Brown then? :lol:

[weather eater]

Ho hum, lets put it this way if any of the berry stuff is right, its going to be a mild winter in the peak district, the blackberries were rubbish, horse chestnuts poor and rowans, sloes, acorns etc perfectly ordinary.

[SP1986]

The gradual death of British native trees I say! :lol: (just joking but let's hope that never happens)

Still if all else fails, we can always rely on Olive, Grape, Passionfruit, Pomegranate and Fuchsia fruit to harvest!

[Osbourne One-Nil]

My grandad used to say "Don't believe in weather lore, or it'll rain for forty days and forty nights."

[Methuselah]

If, in October BS it will not lessen;

Come Xmas Day 'll see retrogression!

[Osbourne One-Nil]

One I saw on Charlie on Lola the other day was...

If, before Halloween, you see in flux in the Pacific Oscillation Wave

Then the QBO anomoly will, in all likelehood, misbehave.

[Methuselah]

If Solar flux be at its leasteth;

Expect a beasteth from tha Easteth...

[suffolkboy_]

"Many haws, Many snaws; Many sloes, Many cold toes"

I presume the "Haws" is Hawthorn? But I certainly know for a fact there are no end of Sloes this year, I picked mine yesterday(a bit late some may say). It only took me about 10 minutes to get as many as I needed, whereas the last few years have taken me no end of time and alot more reaching into thorns!

"If the oak bear much mast (acorns) it foreshows a long and hard winter"

Haven't really noticed oak trees producing giant amounts of acorns this year, although to be honest I haven't been looking, i'm much more intersted in the sloes for my gin!!!

[Methuselah]

If your boat is frozen to its rowlocks;

Come Yule-Tide time, it's Betty Swollocks...

PS: I take folk lore very seriously!

[Portland Paul]

If first Sunday in advent be anticyclonic, then batten down hatches before your Christmas Gin and Tonic.

If fog settles in for Yuletide, then by New Year's Eve you'll sledge and slide.

A January spring brings Lent snow.

If May Day be fine and hot, Whitsun will be full of grot.

[Methuselah]

BB!

If October berries, there be many;

Christmas snow, there'll be not any!

[chionomaniac]

If FI shows a beasterly,

When the time comes ther'll be no easterly.

[Methuselah]

If in October time the leaves they fall;

Come Xmas week, you'll get f'all!

[chionomaniac]

Ian Brown believes we'll all be too old,

in this modern era before we see cold.

[Methuselah]

Ian Brown believes we'll all be too old,

in this modern era before we see cold.

:lol: Do we share a common genius???

If at Michaelmas time you get a splinter;

You can guarantee a Modern Winter...

Maybe not! :lol:

[sundog]

In October the winter posters briefly look in and then they're out ,but by December they will be all about!

[Stargazer]

Blue chart for tomorrow, some cold will follow

Blue chart in FI, to the cold say goodbye.

(well it almost rhymes )

[Osbourne One-Nil]

If it's mild according to Tommy Tucker,

The the winter's going to be a real cold affair.

[Optimus Prime]

Nature reacts to the weather. Doesn't control it.