Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 4: Nature’s Triple Play: Wind, Weather, and Tides
Weather Proverbs
One of the first proverbs we learn is this one:
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning;
red sky at night, sailors delight.
Surprisingly, meteorologists agree with mariners on this one. A red sky at dawn results
from the sun lighting up the edges of storm clouds moving in from the west, while a red
sky at night means the sun has popped clear of the progressing clouds and fair weather is
approaching (although it may be windy for a day or two
Boat Bytes
after the front).
Although a red sky at night
may be a sailor’s delight,
“orange or yellow can hurt
a fellow.” Clouds that turn
these colors at sundown
indicate that humidity is moving
in, rain is likely, and storms are
possible.
Mackerel scale clouds often
mean rain tomorrow,
although they show only
when the day is sunny.
(Photo credit: Frank Sargeant)
Here’s another mariner’s favorite:
Mackerel scales and mares’ tails make tall ships
carry low sails.
Mackerel scales are altocumulus clouds that form a
scale-like pattern overhead, while mares’ tails are cirrus
clouds with the tails swept upward. Both are harbingers
of wind and rain, although the weather usually takes 24
hours or more to arrive.
When the sun wears a halo, a luminescent ring that scientists say is ice crystals forming in
the atmosphere, it’s a good sign that there’s a front coming in soon. “Sun dogs” or mock