Mackerel-Sky-and-Mares-Tails-0.mp3
Mackerel-Sky-and-Mares-Tails-0.mp4
Mackerel-Sky-and-Mares-Tails-I.mp3
Mackerel-Sky-and-Mares-Tails-I.mp4
Mackerel-Sky-and-Mares-Tails-intro.mp3
[Intro]
Mackerel sky and mares’ tails
A warning that seldom fails
[Verse 1]
Have you noticed
Any signs
Try to focus
Feel what the gut finds
[Bridge]
When smoke descends…
Good weather ends
[Chorus]
Mackerel sky and mares’ tails
A warning that seldom fails
Look up to the sky
To find the answers to why
[Verse 2]
Warning signs all around
Just look (Look!) what can be found
Time to sound the alarm
Of the incoming harm
[Bridge]
When smoke descends…
Good weather ends
[Chorus]
Mackerel sky and mares’ tails
A warning that seldom fails
Look up to the sky
To find the answers to why
[Outro]
When smoke descends…
Good weather ends
A SCIENCE NOTE
There are many traditional weather proverbs and sayings, similar to “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning,” that have been passed down through generations based on observations of natural phenomena. Some other weather-related warnings include:
Sky and Cloud-Based Sayings:
- “Mackerel sky and mares’ tails make tall ships carry low sails.”
- A “mackerel sky” (altocumulus clouds) and wispy cirrus clouds (“mares’ tails”) often indicate an approaching weather front, signaling worsening weather.
- “If the moon has a halo, rain or snow will follow.”
- A halo around the moon is caused by ice crystals in high cirrus clouds, often preceding a storm.
- “Evening red and morning gray, sets the traveler on his way; evening gray and morning red, brings down rain upon his head.”
- A red evening sky suggests fair weather, but a red morning sky can indicate an approaching storm.
- “Rain before seven, clear by eleven.”
- Light rain in the early morning often clears up by midday.
Animal Behavior-Based Sayings:
- “When cows lie down, rain is coming soon.”
- Cows are thought to sense falling pressure and lie down to keep a dry spot on the grass.
- “Birds flying low, expect rain and a blow.”
- Birds tend to fly lower before storms due to changes in air pressure.
- “When spiders weave their webs thick and tight, the weather will be fair and bright; when webs are wet with morning dew, the weather will soon change too.”
- Spiders adjust their web-spinning habits based on humidity and atmospheric pressure.
Temperature and Wind-Based Sayings:
- “When the wind is out of the west, the weather is always best.”
- A prevailing westerly wind in many regions often brings fair weather.
- “A sudden chill brings water in a rill.”
- A rapid temperature drop can indicate approaching precipitation.
- “When smoke descends, good weather ends.”
- Smoke rising straight up indicates stable air, while falling smoke suggests low pressure and potential rain.
These sayings are rooted in empirical observations and local weather patterns, but with modern meteorology, they are often considered anecdotal rather than scientifically reliable.