I grew up with a weather journal. It wasn’t fancy, but it allowed me to make daily weather entries, keep track of big rain and snow storms and monitor Grandma’s quirky but always intriguing weather observations. You can find lovely handmade journals at most local markets.
The very first entry I made in my new journal every year came before I was tucked into bed Christmas night: it was the weather conditions for Christmas Day. My notes were not very detailed but they served to paint a picture of the day that was. I usually indicated the sky condition with a little icon. Dad always checked the morning low temperature before going to the barn – that went in. I kept an eye on how warm it was during the day. Mom was a keen observer of the direction of the wind; I later learned the importance of that one.
I did this every day, but the first 12 days were the most important.
Here’s why:
You are most likely familiar with the seasonal favourite, The 12 Days of Christmas. Aside from being a cute song, the 12 Days of Christmas can help you forecast the weather for the year ahead. Or at least Grandma thought so.
According to weather lore – and Grandma, of course – the weather on Christmas Day and the next 11 days determine the weather for each month in the coming year.
Here’s how:
The weather on Dec. 25 foretells the weather for January, Dec. 26 gives you an idea of what to expect in February, and so on.
It’s not too late to pick up a journal for that someone special. It can become a lovely family activity. Who knows, had it not been for my weather journal, I might not be a meteorologist today!
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.
