DEW ON THE GRASS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 919, 12 March 1930, Page 14

DEW ON THE GRASS

One of the very best indicators of the weather for the day is the state of the dew in the morning. It gathers on grass and other exposed objects when they are cool enough to condense it out of the air, just as moisture is condensed out of the air on the side of a pitcher when filled with ice-water. Now, the grass and other outdoor things cool considerably only on still, clear nights, the kind that occur during a spell of fine weather, and at no other time. Hence a heavy dew means that the air was still and the certain that if there was neither wind sky clear, at least during the latter half of the night. And it is pretty nor clouds during that time, the day will be a good one for all outside work. On the other hand, if there is no dew in the. morning it is almost certain that either the sky was clouded or that there was appreciable wind or both; and both, as a rule, precede a general rainstorm by 6 to 12 or even 24 hours, according to circumstances. Consequently there is much reason behind the two proverbs: When the grass is dry at morning light Book for rain before the night. When the dew is on the grass Rain will never come to pass