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Everyone has a few weather myths they like to put their faith in, but that old adage you've been repeating may be completely bogus.

Six weather myths: Busted, or backed up?


Daniel Martins
Digital Reporter

Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 3:14 PM - Everyone has a few weather myths they like to put their faith in. And why not, in a country with such variable and occasionally extreme weather as ours?

Still, that old adage you've been repeating may or may not be based in science, and some may be completely bogus.

We caught up with adventurer and Angry Planet host George Kourounis at the opening of the Ontario Science Centre's new "Wild Weather" exhibit. He's seen his share of wild weather, and here are his takes on some more famous weather sayings and myths.

Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning

Whether for sailors or shepherds, a red sky at dawn or dusk is due to sunlight being scattered by moisture or dust particles as it moves through the thickest part of the atmosphere.

Believe it or not, this old sailor's adage might have some truth to it. The idea is, a red sky at night is due to more dust particles trapped in the atmosphere by high pressure moving in from the west, which typically means good weather. 

In contrast, a red sky in the morning, with a red sunrise, can mean high pressure is moving away from you (weather in Canada typically moves from west to east), which could mean a low pressure system, bringing storm-bearing clouds like altocumulus or cirrus, is moving in behind it.

A caveat: Any aerosol in the air can make for a reddish tinge at sunrise or sunset, so keep that in mind if you live in a large city that may be prone to smog. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also says, for sailors at least, the adage is typically only true in latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees north or south.

Seagulls gathering on land

One common saying is that seagulls gathering on land is a sign of poor weather to come.

This one is may actually ring true, at least for some species. Kourounis says many birds have senses beyond humans', with some birds sensitive to changes in air pressure.

Low pressure systems typically portend stormy weather, so it's possible seagulls and other species take refuge on land ahead of its arrival, or else fly lower.

The full extent of birds' fabled ability to predict the weather is a little hazy, but it's plausible some species are that well attuned. In 2014, for example, a study found golden-winged warblers in Tennessee started their Florida migration earlier, days ahead of a series of severe storms that produced multiple tornadoes. According to National Geographic, the researchers' hypothesis is that the warblers could detect the low-frequency infrasound noises given off by the storms while they were still distant.

Hiding under a tree during a thunderstorm

We're not sure how many people actually think they'll be safe hiding under a tree during a thunderstorm, but we're hoping it's a very small amount.

This is, in fact, one of the worst things you can do in a thunderstorm. Lightning is actually much hotter than the surface of the sun -- five times hotter, in fact -- and the briefest strike delivers an enormous amount of energy.

Aside from setting trees on fire, that extreme heat also flash-vaporizes all the water in the tree trunk as the current flows through. That causes the water to expand, possibly blowing off parts of the bark if not triggering a small explosion.

If you know that particular tree has already been struck by lighting, don't pay any attention to the old "lightning doesn't strike the same place twice" adage. Lightning is drawn to higher places, and absolutely can strike the same place twice -- the CN tower, for example, is struck an average 75 times per year

Bathing or answering the phone during a storm

You're mostly safe from lightning within your own home -- with some notable exceptions.

First: The old story about not taking a bath or shower during a thunderstorm is actually plausible. Mythbusters tried it out with a dummy, and simulated lightning did, indeed, run through the metal pipes into the shower. 

The team reported a heart monitor failed to measure the current in the dummy, but the arc did cause a fire, so they considered it plausible. Snopes also says it's plausible, listing several confirmed incidents of people injured using the plumbing in some way during a storm.

Also -- and this may be dating us a bit -- using a phone with a cord during a storm could also lead to disaster. Snopes and Mythbusters say this risk is plausible, and at least two people are killed this way in the U.S. per year.

As for cell phones, with no cord for the current to travel through, there's not much risk. Though a 2006 study found some evidence that people struck by lightning while using them may have a higher risk of serious injury, other scientists have cast serious doubt on the claim, according to Livescience.

Opening your windows during a tornado

This is one of those well-meaning myths that sounds plausible on the surface.

The idea is, leaving your windows open will somehow equalize the pressure and prevent the tornado from causing your house to explode. However, there's no evidence that this is true, and if a tornado is coming to your house, the windows will be the least of your worries.

"Leave your windows, get to the basement," Kourounis, who has experience storm chasing, says. "I guarantee the tornado will open them for you."

Another absolute tornado DON'T: Sheltering under an overpass as a tornado approaches. This will offer you no protection whatsover, and the Weather Underground says that might actually make you more likely to be hurt.

Can it be too cold to snow?

Like the one about windows and tornadoes, this one is based in what seems to be a common public understanding: Snow relies on moisture, and colder days are drier, making precipitation less likely.

However, the evidence doesn't bear this out. Even though it can seem so cold there can't possibly be enough moisture in the air, it can still snow.

Antarctica, for example, is Earth's coldest and driest continent, home to the coldest temperatures on the planet while receiving so little precipitation that it qualifies as a desert. Even so, Antarctica still gets about 200 mm of precipitation in coastal areas, and 50 mm in the dry interior, on an average annual basis.

In Canada, Iqaluit gets more than 20 cm of snow in January, when its average daytime high doesn't crack -20oC.

"It's less likely when its very cold, but it can happen," Kourounis says.

BELOW: A peek at the Ontario Science Centre's "Wild Weather."



ADDITIONAL SOURCES: Library of Congress | NOAA | UK Met Office | National Geographic | National Weather Service | Mythbusters | Snopes | Mythbusters | Snopes | Live Science | Weather Underground | Cool Antarctica

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