Sayings about the seasons
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (356574)
Rockingham, Australia
May 8, 2025 4:57am CST
I came across these sayings about the seasons and thought I’d share them. I certainly don’t believe all of them but some I’ve heard before.
Summer
If it rains on a full moon, it’s going to be a wet month.
Spider webs in the grass in the morning mean it will not rain that day.
If there is a heavy dew it won’t rain.
When the kookaburras call, the rain will fall. (I don’t believe this one)
When flies are hanging around the doors and windows, it is a sign of rain.
Autumn
If the moon is tilted sideways or upside down, it will rain. (I don’t believe this one either)
Croaking frogs mean rain is coming. (I think this has some truth to it)
Winter
A ring around the moon means rain in five days.
Rain before seven, fine before eleven.
If ants build in winter, rain is one day away.
I read these in a book of Australian sayings so I don’t if they’re supposed to apply in the northern hemisphere. Are any of these familiar to you or do you have any sayings about forecasting the weather?
The photo shows a very wet kangaroo trying to take shelter behind a bush.
23 people like this
20 responses
@FourWalls (75980)
• United States
8 May
Oh, I’m sure there’s a ton of old folklore sayings. That’s what The Old Farmers’ Almanac is based on. The most famous saying, I guess, is “red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in morning, sailor take warning.” There are a lot of things about winter, like wooly worms and persimmon seed shapes.
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (49911)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
8 May
Haven't heard any of them, especially the kookaburra one 
(we don't have them here).
No sayings for spring?
(we don't have them here).
No sayings for spring?2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (49911)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
9 May
@JudyEv For our spring, we say if March comes in like a lion, it'll go out like a lamb. Or vice versa.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (356574)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 May
@BarBaraPrz I'd forgotten that one but I have heard it.
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@allknowing (148111)
• India
9 May
My observation is that these days there is nothing like seasons It rains at odd times here
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (192199)
• United States
8 May
Interesting. I haven't heard any of these.
2 people like this
@Bensen32 (28323)
• United States
8 May
Most of these I have never heard of so not sure it is something here in the USA.
I have heard one...Red sky at night, Sailor Delight....Red sky in Morn, Sailor be warned. I guess that mean storms may or may not come.
Not sure I believe in any of those.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (164308)
• United States
9 May
@JudyEv I always have thought about the flies and how "sticky" they seem right before a rain.
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@GardenGerty (164308)
• United States
9 May
I probably looked a bit like that kangaroo yesterday. Only saying that comes to mind is "Red sky at morning, sailor take warning, red sky at night, sailor's delight" These would really not pertain to us here in the middle of Kansas. No sailors.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (356574)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 May
We knew that one too but somewhere along the line 'shepherds' got substituted for 'sailors'. More attuned to our farming lifestyle. 
@DaddyEvil (151661)
• United States
8 May
I remember one that goes red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky in the morning, sailor's take warning.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (151661)
• United States
8 May
@JudyEv Several of the ones you listed are used here, too.
3 people like this
@RasmaSandra (86286)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 May
That is interesting thank you for sharing,
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (27346)
• Singapore
8 May
I heard it said Melbourne has "four seasons in one day".
When there is a "R" in the month, it rains in Indonesia - September to April.
It is true that it does not rain during May to August.
I recall the nursery rhyme:
" Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
Daddy wants to play
Rain, rain go away"
It brings a smile to me.
2 people like this
@Beestring (15518)
• Hong Kong
8 May
Lovely photo!
Those are interesting sayings.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (191572)
• United States
8 May
The only weather saying I know was repeated down below.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16972)
• China
8 May
There is something in some of sayings about animals.Animals can sense what human beings can't,for instance, dogs can feel the coming of an earthquake earlier than human beings.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (43742)
• United States
9 May
In the winter we sometimes say it's too cold to snow. Seems like snow comes once in a while, but when it's slightly warmer.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (31842)
• United Kingdom
9 May
Rain before seven, fine before eleven is a well-known saying here, and often true (not just in winter).
I think:
Spider webs in the grass in the morning mean it will not rain that day.
and
If there is a heavy dew it won’t rain.
are essentially the same thing, because you often only notice the spider webs in the grass when there is dew on them, and dew forms when warm air cools below the dewpoint overnight which is often because it's a clear night and therefore no cloud and so a fine day follows!
When flies are hanging around the doors and windows, it is a sign of rain.
This could well be true because they tend to do that when there is low cloud, although depending on the flies they may do that anyway!
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