Camping For Boys

by H. W. Gibson

CHAPTER XIX—FORECASTING THE WEATHER

WEATHER TABLE CLOUDS RAIN CLEAR WEATHER WINDS HOW TO TELL DIRECTION OF WIND SIGNALS LOST ON A CLOUDY DAY POINTS OF COMPASS HOME-MADE WEATHER PROPHET PLANT BAROMETER BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sunshine is delicious.
Rain is refreshing.
Wind braces up.
Snow is exhilarating.
There is really no such thing as bad weather,
only different kinds of good weather.
—Ruskin.

It is said that this weather table by Buzzacott is so near the truth as seldom or never to be found to fail.

FORECASTING THE WEATHER
If the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, or Last Quarter,
comes between In Summer In Winter
12 and 2 AM Fair Frost, unless wind S.W.
2 and 4 AM Cold and showers Snow and stormy
4 and 6 AM Rain Rain
6 and 8 AM Wind and rain Stormy
8 and 10 AM Changeable Cold rain if wind W.
Snow if E.
10 and 12 PM Frequent showers Cold and high wind
12 and 2 PM Very rainy Snow or rain
2 and 4 PM Changeable Fair and mild
4 and 6 PM Fair Fair
6 and 8 PM Fair if wind N.W. Fair and frosty if
wind N. or N.E.
8 and 10 PM Rainy if S. or S.W. Rain or snow if
S. or S.W.
10 and 12 AM Fair Fair and frosty

Clouds

Every cloud is a weather sign.
Low clouds swiftly moving indicate coolness and rain.
Soft clouds, moderate winds, fine weather.
Hard-edged clouds, wind.
Rolled or ragged clouds, strong wind.
"Mackerel" sky, twelve hours dry.

Rain

Look out for rain when
The tree frog cries.
Fish swim near the surface.
Walls are unusually damp.
Flies are troublesome and sting sharply.
A slack rope tightens.
Smoke beats downward.
Sun is red in the morning.
There is a pale yellow sunset.

Rain with East wind is lengthy.
A sudden shower is soon over.
A slow rain lasts long.
Rain before seven, clear before eleven.
Sun drawing water, sure sign of rain.
A circle round the moon means "storm."

"When the grass is dry at night
Look for rain before the light;
When the grass is dry at morning light
Look for rain before the night."

"When the dew is on the grass
Rain will never come to pass."

Fog in the morning, bright sunny day.
Swallow flying high means clearing weather.
If the sun goes down cloudy Friday, sure of a clear Sunday.
Busy spiders mean fine weather.

THE WINDS

East wind brings rain.
West wind brings clear, bright, cool weather.
North wind brings cold.
South wind brings heat.
Birds fly high when the barometer is high, and low when the barometer is
low.

Direction of Wind

The way to find which way the wind is blowing, if there is only very light breeze, is to throw up little bits of dry grass; or to hold up a handful of light dust and let it fall, or to suck your thumb and wet it all round and let the wind blow over it, and the cold side of it will then tell you which way the wind is blowing.

Weather Bureau

The U. S. Department of Agriculture Weather Bureau publishes a "Classification of clouds," in colors which may be had for the asking. If you are near one of the weather signal stations daily bulletins will be sent to camp upon request, also the weather map.

A set of flag signals run up each day will create interest. The flags are easily made, or may be purchased.

Keep a daily record of temperature. A boy in charge of the "Weather Bureau" will find it to be full of interest, as well as to offer an opportunity to render the camp a real service. He will make a weather vane, post a daily bulletin board, keep a record of temperature, measure velocity of wind and rainfall.

If you have lost your bearings and it is a cloudy day, put the point of your knife blade on your thumb nail, and turn the blade around until the full shadow of the blade is on the nail. This will tell you where the sun is, and decide in which direction the camp is.

Points of Compass

Face the sun in the morning, spread out your arms straight from body. Before you is the east; behind you is the west; to your right hand is the south; to the left hand is the north.

A Home-made Weather Prophet

For a home-made barometer you need a clean, clear glass bottle. Take one drachm[1] each of camphor gum, saltpetre and ammonia salts, and dissolve them in thirteen drachms of pure alcohol. Shake till dissolved. Then pour in bottle and cork tightly. Hang the bottle of mixture against the wall facing north, and it will prove a perfect weather prophet. When the liquid is clear it promises fair weather. When it is muddy or cloudy it is a sign of rain. When little white flakes settle in the bottom it means that the weather is growing colder, and the thicker the deposit the colder it becomes. Fine, starry flakes foretell a storm, and large flakes are signs of snow. When the liquid seems full of little, threadlike forms that gradually rise to the top, it means wind and sudden storm.

[Transcriber's Footnote 1: Dram, drachma; drachm; U.S. Customary System equal to 1/16 of an ounce or 27.34 grains (1.77 grams). Apothecary weight equal to 1/8 of an ounce or 60 grains (3.89 grams).]

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WEATHER BUREAU. EXPLANATION OF FLAG SIGNALS,

[Illustration: Flags]

No. 1, alone, indicates fair weather, stationary temperature.
No. 2, alone. Indicates rain or snow, stationary temperature.
No. 3, alone, indicates local rain, stationary temperature.
No. 1, with No. 4 above it, indicates fair weather, warmer
No. 1, with No. 4 below it, indicates fair weather, colder.
No. 2, with No. 4 above it, indicates warmer weather, rain or snow.
No. 2, with No. 4 below it, indicates colder weather, rain or snow.
No. 8, with No. 4 above it, indicates warmer weather with local rains.
No. 3, with No. 4 below it, indicates colder weather with local rains.
No. 1, with No. 5 above it, indicates fair weather, cold wave.
No. 2, with No. 5 above it, indicates wet weather, cold wave.

Forecasts made at 10 A.M., and displayed between 12 and 1 P.M., forecast the weather for the following day until 8 P.M.