I think it will snow again soon possibly as early as Monday or Tuesday.

I hear you ask “How can you be so sure?”.

Well, I consulted my trusty barometer. I have also got twinges in my knee.

Unlike the forecast on the television and wireless my trusty barometer and knee are rarely wrong.

Of course you only have to step outside and feel the bitter temperature to realise that snow is on the way. As my grandfather used to say “It will have to snow before it gets warmer”.

Before the invention of TV and radio the only way people had of forecasting the weather was by observing the world around them.

Apparently the behaviour of garden animals gives a good indication of what weather is coming up.

If the birds swarming around my bird table then I know they are feeding ahead of bad weather.

Birds flying low also indicate bad weather and swarms of gnats in the summer indicate fine weather.

To find the current air temperature if crickets are around simply count the number of chirps the crickets make in fourteen seconds add forty and you will have the current air temperature in Fahrenheit.

For a temperature reading in metric count the number of chirps in twenty five seconds then divide by three and add four.

My neighbour, who used to have a dog, could tell when a storm was approaching by the way their dog was behaving.

According to my neighbour cats and dogs can smell a storm approaching. A cat or dog sniffing wildly is a good indication a storm brewing.

If you see fish in the garden pond eating more than usual that can also signify an approaching storm.

My neighbour has from time to time noticed their cat grooming more than usual which indicates static electricity in the air. This behaviour is because the cat's fur loses electrons when relative humidity is low and their coat becomes charged with static. Grooming wets the hair and the static electricity goes away.

For a long range winter forecast simply observe squirrels in the autumn and see how much food they are stashing away. If they are busy burying nuts then it's likely to be a harsh winter.

The animals around us are very clever. They don't have access to a network of satellites so they have to be prepared for any harsh weather.

By keeping a watch on local wildlife and consulting with my trusty barometer and knee I can tell what the weather will be without any need to listen to the weather man on the radio.

Do you know of any other animals that can predict the weather?

Today (14th Feb) happens to be the Chinese New Year. Can I wish a happy and prosperous new year to anyone celebrating the year of the Tiger which starts today!