Weather Lore Calendar

Observations of August fog and winter have a history in weather lore. We have heard of weather proverbs such as “So many August fogs, so many winter mists.” There is another, though, that says, “A fog in August indicates a severe winter and plenty of snow.” Similarly, as mentioned in the article above, “If the first week in August is unusually long, the winter will be white and long.”  Another one says for August 24 (St. Bartholomew’s feast day), “If this day be misty, the morning beginning with a hoar-frost, the cold weather will soon come, and a hard winter.” As to whether this applies to your area, it might be fun to record the fogs in August (with beans, as mentioned by Susan Shipe, is a great idea!) and see how the coming winter shapes up. These weather proverbs are perhaps alluding to larger patterns of weather that tend to come together. The water in the fog in August, though, likely is not forming the snow that develops in a region in later winter months. Water vapor and droplets can travel over great distances, in clouds, from evaporation, in runoff, etc. Some water may stay in the area, while other water might be transported elsewhere, by land (such as streams) or air, or even living creatures. Hope this helps!