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Storm ‘s a Brewin’: 8 TellTale Signs Rain Is On The Way

Storm’s a Brewin’: You can get All-Weather tops for many Legend Boats models. But, if you’re like most people, you’d probably prefer to skip the storm altogether.

To maximize your chances of staying dry we’re going to show you 8 ways to read Mother Nature’s signals so that you know when to head for shelter.

 

How To Tell A Storm Is Coming

 

Storms a Brewing: Towering Cumulus Clouds

1. Towering Cumulus Clouds: 

Cumulous clouds are those fluffy, cotton ball guys. They’re harmless in the fluffy state, but once they start towering you know a storm is closing in. Atmospheric pressure pushes the fluff upwards which can quickly turn into a storm.

 

Storm's a Brewin' : Shelf Clouds

2. Shelf Clouds:

These look exactly what they sound like: shelves in the sky. They’re not always this dark, a lot of what you see is shadow. The Arcus clouds moving towards you across the horizon is a surefire sign that rain is on the way.

 

Storm's a Brewin' : Wall Clouds

3. Wall Clouds

A wall cloud (or pedestal cloud) hugs the ground and interrupts your view of a large portion of the horizon and sky. These clouds with a blue-black underside are a recipe for severe downpour and are often coupled with thunder. Pay attention. The more that blue colour starts looking green, the more severe the storm will be.

 

Storm's a Brewin' : Cloud movement

4. Cloud Movement

Okay, so you have way more problems than a bit of rain if you see cloud movement like that. But, even a little cloud movement can tell you a lot. Typically, clouds will float along a jet stream or particular wind path at an even pace. When clouds become unusually fast moving or begin to twist or swirl, a storm is forming.

 

Storm's a Brewin' : Temperature Drop

5. Drastic Temperature Change

You’re sitting in your boat working on your tan, and suddenly the temperature drops. It’s drastic enough that you notice right away and start to cover up. Not only does this indicate that a storm is coming, it’s coming quickly.

 

Storm's a Brewin' : Wind Change

6. Sudden Wind Changes

If it’s a relatively calm day out on the water and the wind gradually begins to pick up, no big deal. That’s just the wind stream changing its path a little bit. However, if the wind goes from 0-60 in an instant you’re about to experience a storm.

Equally problematic is when the wind is blowing and it suddenly disappears. “The calm before the storm” is real. A low-pressure system pushes out the regular winds and causes the water to almost stand still which is when the storm is about to kick in.

 

Smoke Direction

7.  Smoke Direction

Normal to high-pressure days will send smoke from a campfire straight up into the air. A little bit of a breeze will push it around a little but, aside from trying to avoid getting it in your face, that’s no big deal. The problem is when the smoke blows downwards. This indicates a low-pressure – the kind that causes storms – situation.

 

Smell the Weather

8. Follow Your Nose

Moisture always precedes a full blown storm. This moisture clings to the particles that you breath in causing them to carry a stronger scent. On top of smells being more prominent, the plant life that surrounds you will be getting rid of their waste and there will be a distinct smell of compost in the air.

Other moisture signals include swollen tree bark, closed up pinecones, curling leaves, and frizzy hair if yours happens to be on the longer side.

 

 

Rain by itself isn’t so bad. Lightning is the real danger. The cause of lightning is a warmer lower-layer of air with a colder layer on top. This causes the static electricity causing bolts to be hurled to the earth.

Lightning Storm

If any of the above-mentioned signs are tell you a storm is on the way, AND it’s noticeably warm where you stand, chances are the upper layers in the sky are colder and that thunder and lightning will be accompanying the rainwater.

Go ahead and check the “hit by lightning” Google image results and there’ll be no question why we are urging you to head to safety asap.

Luckily, these 8 signs we’ve pointed out give you about 30-60 minutes worth of warning so you’ll have plenty of time to get somewhere dry and comfortable.

You can get more How-To advice from our Youtube channel.

Yours In Boating,

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