Knowing what weather is coming can be a life-saving skill in wilderness survival. If you recognize the signs of a coming storm you can forego your planned movement, prepare shelter, gather firewood, or fish (fish feed more before storms). On the other hand, if a storm catches you off guard you could easily die from hypothermia or drown in flash floods. These are some ways that people have used for centuries to help predict the coming weather.
Red Sky
Observing the sky, especially at the beginning and end of the day can tell you of coming weather. A red sky at evening is caused by a high-pressure system stirring dust particles into the air. Since prevailing weather has a tendency to move from west to east, this means that dry weather is headed your way. A red sky in the morning can mean that the dry weather has already past you and that moisture in the air is headed your way. Remember the saying “red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning.”.
Moon Ring
If a ring is visible around the moon, which is caused by the moon’s light shining through cirrostratus clouds, this is a sign that a warm front is bringing in moisture. Remember the saying “ring around the moon, rain or snow soon.”.
Campfire Smoke
If the smoke from your campfire is rising steadily then it is likely that you have dry weather on the way. Smoke that swirls is a sign of low pressure, which could mean wet weather on the way.
You will have enough to deal with in a wilderness survival scenario, you don’t need to add to that by getting caught off guard by a heavy storm that could leave you wet and with no dry firewood. Pay attention to the signs that are around you and act accordingly. This is a lifesaving skill set to have, I’ll cover more ways to help you predict weather soon so check back.
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