News You Can Use

University Relations
Contact: Danielle Bessey
(662) 325-3442
Nov. 13, 1997

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Old weather sayings may seem corny, but modern meteorologists still point to some traditions when it comes to weather forecasting.

Charles Wax, head of the geosciences department at Mississippi State University and the state's designated climatologist, says weather lore remains a part of forecasting.

"Weather lore dates to the Greeks and the Bible," Wax said. "In fact, the Book of Matthew includes the still-popular weather phrase, 'Red sky at night, sailors delight/ Red sky in morning, sailors take warning,' that predicts sailing conditions."

Wax says everyday events can offer weather-related tips. These include:

Counting it out. When a bolt of lightning flashes, count until the thunder begins to rumble, then divide by 5. That final number is the distance in miles of the bolt.

Listening to the crickets. Counting the number of chirps in 14 seconds and adding 40 gives the temperature in Fahrenheit.

When it comes to forecasting, Wax echoes what any weather professional will readily admit: Weather predictions can never be 100 percent accurate.

"Even with the technology we have today, there still is no way to say exactly what weather we will have next summer," Wax says. "That's why meteorologists always talk about 'the possibilities' of what tomorrow's weather will be."

In the final analysis, Wax says each person must be his or her own weather predictor.

"If the sky looks dark, you may surmise there's probably a good chance of rain!"