Rain On Your Shadow

I just observed an uncommon weather phenomenon that is described in an old wives’ tale. I’ve never known it to be wrong, and I’ve observed for years and never seen it fail. The saying goes something like “if it rains on your shadow, it will rain again tomorrow.” And it’s absolutely true. Sorry it’s not poetic or anything, it’s just a random piece of folk wisdom, even if it isn’t a catchy couplet.

There may be a reasonable explanation for the prediction. The only time rain can fall on your shadow is when it is raining when the sun is shining. I’ve only seen this happen in the hottest days of the summer when the weather is extremely unstable, and small, scattered thunderstorms break out in a mostly sunny sky. Usually this weather pattern lasts for a couple of days, so there is more rain on the way. I’m not sure if this pattern works anywhere but here in the plains of the US, but I suspect it is universal.

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