Weather and the Moon...
More than just lore

The connection between lunar phases and the weather has sometimes been seen as mere lore. The ability to predict rain and to anticipate dry spells simply by the observations of the different colors and formations of the Moon were insights that have long been understood by our ancestors. The Farmers Almanac has evolved from such observations and has been for many a year a trusted and valued reference guide to our forefathers for forecasting weather predictions, understand positive gardening aspects, breeding, fishing and other Lunar aspects. Today this so called lore and many other lunar phase weather connections have been validated through scientific research. The following are such examples.

Moon Lore:
"If the new moon holds the old moon in her lap, expect fair weather."
Scientific explanation:
Fair weather conditions the air is more stable, which minimizes turbulence. This lack of turbulence allows us to see more dim objects in the sky than we would see in more unstable conditions. Since a stable air mass is typically associated with fair weather the statement holds true. So, if you look at the new moon and can see the outline of the remainder of the moon which is in shadow, expect fair weather.

MoonLore:
"A circle seen around the moon, it will rain or snow soon".
Scientific explanation:
The circle that you can sometimes see around the moon is caused by refraction of light through ice crystals. These ice crystals are quite high in the troposphere and are usually associated with a thin layer of cirrus clouds. Often this layer of ice crystals will precede a developing storm by 24 to 36 hours. The circle does not mean it will rain or snow, but it can be an indicator that there may be a chance of precipitation in the next couple of days.

Research has linked hurricanes to the Full and New Moon's with data collected. Data has also shown that rainfall is more likely to occur at the First Crescent that at the First Quarter of the Moon, and at the Disseminating Moon phase rater that at the Third Quarter. Records also suggest that more rain seem to occur during the two weeks of the waxing Moon that in the night after the Full Moon.

The classic American almanac weather table, which appeared in the “New-England Farmer's Almanac” for 1854, the “Farmer's Almanac” for 1855, and “Poor Richard Revived” for 1914, foretold the weather throughout all the Lunations of each year. This and other Old weather lore brought over from Europe considered the effects of various phases of the Moon, careful weather observations, and the study of various plants and animals that seemed able to foretell the weather. The follow tables are exerts from the original almanacs.

Summer Predictions
If the New Moon, First Quarter, the
Full Moon, or Last Quarter, happens:

Predicting the Weather by the Moon
Ken Ring

This is the first book to present sound scientific evidence for the Moon's influence on our weather and how easily it can be calculated.

Most farmers, fishermen, geologists and nomads know that Full and New Moons bring weather changes. Yet the Moon is never mentioned in any official weather forecasts, nor is it factored into any weather-computer model. Metereologists cannot agree as to whether or not the Moon is a weather influence. Some say it is a small player and others say it is not a player at all. They accept that the Moon controls tides, but will not come out publicly and attribute the Moon to influencing anything else. They also admit to having no real long range forecasting system.

KEN RING discovered how much the Moon influences our weather by keeping and comparing diaries over a ten year period while living in a bus touring New Zealand with his young family. Using this Moon-based system, he has been predicting the weather with surprising accuracy. For a long time he has campaigned for yacht races to be held at Moon phase safer times. In July last year he correctly forecast the weather on Millennium Day, on New Zealand's Election Day, and just recently, for the Sydney Olympics.

PREDICTING THE WEATHER BY THE MOON reveals vital information on how the Moon affects our weather, based on sound mathematics, ancient divination techniques and recently-discovered data from space research. It explains how earthquakes, hurricanes, and extreme weather conditions can be foretold by looking at the distance of the Moon from Earth.

For two or three days at the time of every New Moon, the Moon shields us from the solar wind - that electromagnetic energy force-field put forth by the Sun. The old cultures knew that was the time for planting and fishing and so, over thousands of years they grew the lunar planting and fishing calendars. Data coming now from NASA suggests that lunar calendar systems used by many ancient and surviving cultures to determine seasonal climatic fluctuations indeed had a sound scientific basis. One might say that this is knowledge so old, it is now new again.