Since ancient times, people have been paying attention to natural phenomena that could help them predict whether this year will be hot summers and winters frosty, what kind of crops to expect and whether there will be fish in the rivers and birds near the lakes. For many centuries, our ancestors collected folk signs for April, which can tell a lot about the upcoming summer and the coming autumn.
What does thunder, fog and rain foreshadow?
Clear sunny and warm weather in the afternoon is promised in the morning fog in April, especially if it is low and spreads through the water. Large cumulus clouds hiding the horizon predict rain that will continue for the next day.
Have you heard the thunder in April? A popular sign says that you shouldn’t be afraid: the cloudy weather will not last long, the clouds will give the earth large drops and quickly disappear.
What does nature say about the weather?
If the wind blows from the south-west, you should prepare for a long bad weather, and if from the north-east - summer will have to wait longer than usual. A clear April night will bring frost, but if the stars are hidden by clouds, it will be warm. But if they are blue - a warm day will be spoiled by rain. A hot evening for a couple with a cold night will soon bring good weather.
Cirrus clouds in the early April morning - to a strong cooling, and at sunset - on a windy night.
Birds and animals suggest
According to the behavior of different animals and birds, they often made up folk signs. There are many recommendations for April, depending on how the animals behave. For example, a loud cry of a lapwing in the evening in April calls for clear weather, and if wolves come out of the forest and attack goats and sheep close to houses, this is a long cold. Meet a white hare - for an unexpected snowfall, a red hare - for a warm summer.
Did you see a wagtail in the yard? There will be an April flood soon. Popular signs about the weather in April are closely related to the behavior of animals and birds. For example, high flying cranes will bring bad weather, and often falcons diving down will tell you whether to wait for frosts. If the birds arrive in the second half of April, then there will be no cold weather. Singing larks rejoice in the warm days the whole next week, but if they are silent - this is a sure sign of the approaching rain.
The frogs chorus praises the sultry weather, which will soon be established. Cats in the house lie in that corner, which is closer to tomorrow's warm wind, especially if they are stretched to their full height, and not curled up in a fur ball. If dogs bark for no reason, there will soon be a thunderstorm. In April, folk signs about animals can say a lot, but it is no less interesting to listen to what grass and trees tell about.
Learn to hear the whisper of leaves
Sometimes April was called “pollen, ” as the first flowers begin to bloom this month. Another name - “Berezozol” - was obtained in April because birch sap was harvested this month, sometimes leaving deep furrows and nicks on birch trees.
It’s better to regret it. They can tell a lot: they produce buds later than usual - the summer will be cold, the leaves rustle closer to the night - wait for the thunder in April. True, a popular sign separates thunder and thunder: if it rumbles, but lightnings are not visible, it will rain, and sparkling lightnings without thunder may not cause bad weather.
Aspen, telling about a good future harvest of oats, will put on earrings, and when it begins to blossom, it is best not to waste time and plant carrots and early beets. On an April night, trees crack in the forest for a warm and humid week. Grass grows wildly - to sultry summer days and an excellent harvest in the fall.
Harbinger Harvest
The question of the future harvest is perhaps the most important of those to which folk signs for April are devoted. When people were engaged in sowing and planting in the spring, it was vital for them to know whether it was possible to count on a good harvest, or whether it was worth keeping supplies in case nature let them down. What will be the autumn, you can find out by various signs.
When it rains all April, in May rye and oats will give good shoots, and in the summer you can collect a lot of mushrooms and nuts in the forest.
Harvest autumn is promised by the tadpoles that have bred in puddles, and large clouds of mosquitoes in the swamps. Starry sky and warm nights in April - to a lot of vegetables and potatoes. The windy month, as they say, “blows away the harvest”, but most often, folk signs about the weather in April still say that the harvest will be good: sunny days, warm nights and frequent rains in April will bring rich autumn.
Great-grandfathers will give advice
The April folk signs are the unique wisdom of our ancestors, which combined pagan views on the world around us and an attentive attitude to Christian holidays, among which one of the most important - the Annunciation - is celebrated on April 7. It is believed that on this day, winter finally leaves until next year, and spring enters full rights. You can’t get to work at the Annunciation: they said that because of this you could put your loved one at risk of being killed by lightning, and on this day, according to popular beliefs, even birds do not make nests.
If you look at the national calendar for April, signs in it will help to understand what summer and autumn will be like.
Signs by the days of the calendar
- On April 1, the starless sky promises sunny and warm days, and in general, the weather on this day will coincide with the weather on October 1.
- On April 3 mosquitoes appeared and coltsfoot began to bloom - in warm weather, and if ice had not yet melted by that day, you should not expect a good catch in the spring.
- April 7th says over the next 7 days: a warm night will bring a warm week, and a cold day will delay frost.
- On April 8, rivers opened - the summer will be warm.
- On April 9, birds sing in clear weather, the bell blooms in summer heat.
- On April 14, ice drift is warm for the next two to three weeks, and then a cold snap is possible.
- On April 15, the flood began - to a fruitful autumn and early mowing.
- April 21 is the sun in the afternoon to a sultry summer, a bad day - rains for the whole summer.
- April 22 is changeable weather to drought, warm night - to cooling in May.
- On April 23, rain predicts a dry summer, and if the clouds were gathering, but the rain did not begin, it would go to strong winds.
- On April 25, willow began to blossom - on a cold May.
- April 26, you need to look at the oak: if it has acorns - it is in early autumn.
- On April 28, a warm wind blows - to the rains, and a clear sky at sunset - to a good harvest.
