The New York Times for Kids Magazine: FORGET GROUNDHOGS. Here are three animals who actually CAN predict the weather

By Laurel Neme

The New York Times For Kids Magazine

January 28, 2024

On Feb. 2, the country will watch as Punxsutawney Phil leaves his burrow in Pennsylvania and heads out into the daylight. You know the drill: If he sees his shadow, bundle up for six more weeks. If he doesn't, look forward to an early spring! Or maybe don’t. Because the reality is that Phil's track record isn’t great – over the past 10 years he has been right less than half the time. For better odds on predicting what the weather has in store, look to these animals instead.

CRICKETS CHIRP THE TEMPERATURE

Should you throw on a sweatshirt before heading outside? Ask the crickets. Crickets are cold-blooded, like reptiles, so they get their warmth from the environment. When it’s chilly out, they move more slowly. That means their chirps — which they make by rubbing their wings together, often as a mating call — slow down, too. When they warm up, they rub their wings together faster, which produces faster chirps. There are even math formulas for different species that will tell you the exact temperature. For field crickets, add 40 to the number of chirps in 15 seconds to get the degrees in Fahrenheit.

FROGS FORECAST RAIN

To know whether you need an umbrella, check out frog forecasts. Frogs are sensitive to moisture in the air, probably because they need it to stay wet and comfortable. And when it’s about to rain, American green-tree frogs, known as rain frogs, will croak louder. The reason: Wet weather is good for breeding, because it creates puddles where females can lay eggs. When frogs croak louder before (and during, and after) a downpour, what they’re actually doing is trying to attract another frog to mate with.

BIRDS SENSE STORMS

If you look up and see a flock of Canada Geese flying right above you, it might be time to head indoors. That’s because migrating birds' altitude, or how high they’re flying, can tell us when a storm is coming. When they’re flying low, it means the air pressure is dropping, and gloomy weather like clouds, wind and rain is coming in. When they’re high, it means clear skies ahead!

View this article as a PDF.