Mother nature bends to no man. But that doesn’t mean we have to be left helpless to her advances. While the local weather report is dandy, what about when you don’t have that sweet wi-fi to rely on? Here are some ways you can be better at predicting the weather, using nothing but your head.
Know the Clouds
There is more than one kind of cloud, and knowing the differences will help you know what to expect in the coming future forecast. For example: if the clouds are high up and a bright white (cumulus clouds), then its an indicator of good weather. Are the clouds low and fast? That might indicate an oncoming storm. Make a habit of examining the sky, and parsing what information you can.
Warm Fronts
The feeling of warmer weather passing through can indicate a few things, primarily that some light precipitation is likely to follow. Seldom does violent weather happen after a warm front. Do expect some wind, though. If you begin to see low, thick, grey clouds begin to form, you can expect rain to start falling. Then would be a good time to start unpacking the poncho.
Cold Fronts
These weather formations will move quickly, expanding as they go. With it comes cold weather, shifting winds, and a lower barometric pressure to drop. Keep an eye out for cumulonimbus clouds. If they rise up and expand in the atmosphere, they can develop into thunderstorms. This is most common in the afternoon of a hot summer day. For this reason, the clouds are commonly referred to as Thunderheads.
Cloud Color
Anyone could tell you that dark clouds mean worse weather, but there’s more to know than that. Grey clouds mean precipitation, while a grey sky means a large area rain. Expect shorter rains when its only clouds. Black clouds mean a coming storm with weak winds, while brown-ish clouds are storms with high winds. Generally speaking, these are the worst.
If you know what’s coming, you can prepare for it. While there is a great deal more to meteorology than this, some knowledge is better than nothing. Stay dry, preppers.