Saturday, March 1, 2014

March: In Like a Lion...Out Like Lamb

       Since it's March 1 and weather is on my mind, the little saying about March 1 came to my mind. I began to think of the origin of the saying. I wondered  about the  accuracy the statement.

      I have more than a passing interest in weather. Yesterday I did a whole post on weather. I have my private pilot's license and a good part of our training was weather and I found it very interesting. The grade eight science course had a unit on weather. I had fun with this unit. To wind up the unit we took a field trip to the radiosonde station and watched them prepare a weather balloon and send it up. It as a spectacular end to a unit. Now the radiosonde is obsolete.

     March definitely came in like a lion here. If you check my last post you'll know that conditions were definitely lion like. We had a low of minus 38 C (-24 F) last night  and a wind chill of minus 52 C (-33 F)

    So today I had to check the statement. I was very surprised to discover where the statement originated. It's based on astronomy. The constellation Leo rises in the east  in early march. The Aries constellation sets in the west in  late March. So there you have the lion in early March and the lamb in late March. Yes, it was conveniently applied to weather.

    Those who follow the Farmer's Almanac will find that the March statement is a standby.

    Since I have a bit of a science background , I wonder what the stats are on what happens. What are the odds of this statement being accurate? Does anybody know how to calculate the odds on this statement?

    How do you handle statements like "in like a lion and out like a lamb?" Do you have other weather statements that you swear by?

33 comments:

  1. my folks always said it was cold at the full moon - so they never planted the garden until after the moon was full. i still think of that when we have a cold spell at the full moon. :)

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  2. I've long been aware of this statement but I had no idea where it came from. Thanks for filling a gap in my education. Take care.

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    1. I had no idea of the origin either until I became curious and looked for it.

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  3. Wind from the east the fish bite the least! Red sky in the morning sailors take warning, red sky at night sailors delight. Those are two of my favorites. Not sure that they are worth a darn...along with the Lion and Lambs of March.

    How about if it rains when the sun is shining does it really rain at the same time tomorrow? Sometimes..but you would have to keep track..and I don't:)

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    1. There are many very fascinating sayings about weather. You've given some. I've never heard about the one on fish.

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  4. In like a lion here. Snow and gales again today.

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    1. You've had some nasty weather for awhile.

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  5. Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it!!!

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  6. I think I said it a couple times yesterday, since we are having lion-like weather here, too. I always heard "red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning." I think I even wrote a post about it long ago... :-)

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    1. There are many sayings on weather. My wife uses the red sky one.

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  7. I didn't know the statement was written in the stars either. Cool.

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    1. It's based on constellations but it took people to apply it.

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  8. I think it gives us hope to see spring around the corner

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    1. I think all people who had march come in like a lion are very hopeful of an early spring.

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  9. I always wondered where the "Lion/Lamb" statement came from - now I know! And we have minus 15 F. this morning. LOL

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    1. I must say I was surprised at it's origin.

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  10. I always learn something new every time I visit your blog :)

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  11. For all it is worth, the same saying exists in French:
    Quand mars entre comme un mouton, il sort comme un lion. It is interesting to know that the saying has a basis in astronomy.

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    1. You bring up an interesting point about sayings being spread though different peoples.

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  12. Yep - have heard it here in Australia. Something like our expression of going full bore at it - "Like a bull at a gate".
    However, the lamb part here suggests that it was a failure.
    In other words, thought was not considered before jumping in the deep end and it never worked. Thus the lamb part, as sheep are not considered the brightest of animals!
    Now I will have the "sheep" lovers up in arms - sorry.

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    1. I imagine these sayings came with our ancestors.

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  13. That is very interesting. I never knew where that statement came from. March has certainly come in like a lion here, too!

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    1. How it came to be applied to weather , I don't know.

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  14. Who knew! I had always heard the statement but never questioned. Thanks for informing us it's actually more legitimate than just a saying.
    My Dad and Grandparents always spoke of 'red at night sailors delight, red at morn, sailors warn'. I have also heard the opposite that if March comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion. Of course that messes up the astrology. :) March came in here like a lamb with balmy 50 degree weather but just 24 hours later 20 degrees, ice, sleet and snow the lion is roaring! Nice post Red!

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  15. I just took it as a "truism." As common experience shows it usually but not always works that way. Last year, for example it wasn't true. We had a 70 F. day on the first of March and a blizzard the first week in May. Which supports another truism here in the banana belt of Minn. " if you don't like the weather here wait till tomorrow....:)

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  16. Thank you for your visit, Red. It was so lovely to meet you. I've wondered where that saying came from. What a surprise to find out it came from the stars. I see that you and I both started blogging in 2008.

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  17. Learning about weather i think it will be interesting!!

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  18. My Mother always believed it would be windy at the beginning of March and calm at the end because of that saying. My Grandmother used to say "it will not rain as long as there is enough blue in the sky to make a cat a pair of breeches". I love the old sayings!

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  19. Red thank you, now I know where that saying came from! The only thing I swear by (about) this time of year is for winter to be over and done with, enough of this crazy making cold already! Over the years I don't swear as loudly as I used to, it doesn't help I'm learning. ;-)

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  20. Not me, Red. I take each day as it comes. Each day I'm happy I'm above ground. They are all just lessons for life.

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