Candlemas

[damianslaw]

I'm not a firm believer in weather sayings and proverbs, but of all the sayings I do think the following one holds a little truth -

It is Candlemas Day tomorrow and as the saying goes -

Its Candlemas tomorrow - 2 February, half way point between winter solstice and spring equinox, and there are some weather folkore sayings to mark this day - I'm not a believer of most, but this one I often think holds a bit more truth it goes as follows:

 

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright

Winter will have another fight

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain

Winter won't come again

If Candlemas Day be dry and fair

The half o the winter's to come and mair

If Candlemas Day be wet and foul

The half o the winter's gone at yule

The forecast for most of the country is for a fine dry sunny day, so going by the saying we should expect further wintry conditions, and we are firmly at the half way juncture of winter. 

I always think the first week of February marks the half way stage of true winter - i.e. mid point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Cold settled weather is more likely now than during Dec and Jan as the polar vortex is at its strongest then especially in December.

Looking at the forecasts, winter certainly wants to set in over the days ahead.. so it may hold more credence this year.

Incidentally isn't google great - I googled candlemas weather folkore and my post with the above from 5 years turned up at the top - a simple copy and paste job.. 

Another good saying for this time in the year is 'as the days lengthen the cold strengthens'... very apt for the outlook.

 

[Walsall Wood Snow]

5 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

I'm not a firm believer in weather sayings and proverbs, but of all the sayings I do think the following one holds a little truth -

It is Candlemas Day tomorrow and as the saying goes -

Its Candlemas tomorrow - 2 February, half way point between winter solstice and spring equinox, and there are some weather folkore sayings to mark this day - I'm not a believer of most, but this one I often think holds a bit more truth it goes as follows:

 

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright

Winter will have another fight

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain

Winter won't come again

If Candlemas Day be dry and fair

The half o the winter's to come and mair

If Candlemas Day be wet and foul

The half o the winter's gone at yule

The forecast for most of the country is for a fine dry sunny day, so going by the saying we should expect further wintry conditions, and we are firmly at the half way juncture of winter. 

I always think the first week of February marks the half way stage of true winter - i.e. mid point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Cold settled weather is more likely now than during Dec and Jan as the polar vortex is at its strongest then especially in December.

Looking at the forecasts, winter certainly wants to set in over the days ahead.. so it may hold more credence this year.

Incidentally isn't google great - I googled candlemas weather folkore and my post with the above from 5 years turned up at the top - a simple copy and paste job.. 

Another good saying for this time in the year is 'as the days lengthen the cold strengthens'... very apt for the outlook.

 

I've heard of Candlemas Day but have never known when it was. There are other named days in the Christian calendar i've heard of ending in 'mas' as well like Michaelmas Day (29th Sep). The only one that is still known widely though is obviously Christamas Day (25th Dec).

I like that saying of how the days lengthen the cold strengthens though and you're right that the true definition of Winter is the period from the Winter solstice to the Spring equinox (the same applies to all other seasons been either equinox to solstice or vice versa) with all this 3 whole calendar months definition been a very recent thing that our ancestors wouldn't have recognised. That really gives us the best part of 2 months of Winter left and with the models looking as exciting as they do at the moment, we might dare to dream that Spring could be a long time coming this year.