How useful is the Farmer's Almanac? Weather folklore contained in books like Fuller's were often ways to help people prepare for typical weather conditions that lay ahead, often times in reference to planting and harvesting of crops, and can often be accurate, thanks to prevailing winds and weather patterns.
Typically across the US, the month of March is still in the grip of harsh winter realms, providing more of the same brutal cold, wind and snow, especially in the first days of the month. But as the transitional month moves along, it often leads to glimpses of spring's beauty and warmth.
In the beginning, it might not have had anything to do with weather. This proverb may have evolved into the weather saying we have today by first relating to the heavenly stars above. It is believed that this saying has more to do with the month beginning with the constellation Leo. Leo the lion rises in the east to start March and ends the month with the constellation Aries the ram, or lamb setting in the west.
It is believed that this saying was adapted to include the weather, with its wild swings we generally expect for this transitional month. It didn't take long for early American colonists to realize that the New World's weather pattern was much like their native lands across England and surrounding countries, where extreme weather shifts could profoundly affect their livelihoods from one week to the next.
The Northern Hemisphere shares the same jet stream, providing similar swings in weather, in America as they do across Europe. A similar pattern of mainly westerly influence with cold, harsh north winds bringing heavy snow and bitterly cold temperatures are common in winter, while warm winds from the south can bring tranquil warmth more frequently as the month progresses. Different variations developed for different locations.
Some may be familiar with a reverse version of the proverb: "March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. This "reverse" of the proverb is hard to trace in its origin, but definitely makes sense if you consider those who traveled westward with the American expansion to Western states.
These western states can have incredible temperature swings this month as the polar jet stream moves from it's preferred position near Canada over the winter to a more southerly route during the spring. This tends to cause many states in the Western US to experience some of their heavier snowfalls from the end of March and into April -- thus the lion and the harsh weather it represents coming at the end of the month. In Scotland they say, "March comes in with adders' heads and goes out with peacocks' tails.
A timid creature and unlikely to bite unless threatened. Again, showing a feared image of winter, with the beauty and splendor the weather at the end of March can bring. In the Netherlands, they say; "Maart roert zijn staart," which means "March stirs its tail" -- evidence of the variety and extremes that can come day to day this time of year. All the same for the roller coaster of wacky weather we call March.
Those beliefs often included ideas that there should be a balance in weather and life. So, if a month came in bad roaring like a lion , it should go out good and calm docile, like a lamb.
With March being such a changeable month, in which we can see warm spring-like temperatures or late-season snowstorms, you can understand how this saying might hold true in some instances.
We can only hope that if March starts off stormy it will end on a calm note, but the key word is hope. However, this saying seems to be simply a rhyme rather than a true weather predictor. What will March be like where you live? Check the forecast for your zone here. This article was published by the staff at Farmers' Almanac.
Interested in becoming a guest author? Contact us to let us know! I have not heard that sang. I thank it will be true this year. The reason I thank that is because in Spring you get stormes. Moon Phase Calendar. Email Facebook Pinterest Twitter. You may be familiar with this bit of weather folklore about March: If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. Ancestral Beliefs—Balance Those people often believed that bad spirits could affect the weather adversely, so they were cautious as to what they did or did not do in certain situations.
Will weather get docile like a lamb? There is a that there should be a balance in weather and in life. About the author Related Posts.
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