Weather rock

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Humorous weather forecasting display

title: "Weather rock" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["jokes", "weather-lore", "stones"] description: "Humorous weather forecasting display" topic_path: "general/jokes" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_rock" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Humorous weather forecasting display ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox tool"]

FieldValue
nameWeather rock
captionA weather stone at the Craven Arms pub and cruck barn, Barden, Craven, North Yorkshire, reputedly more accurate than Paul Hudson, a local BBC weather man
imageWeather Stone - geograph.org.uk - 1763606.jpg
image2Pond restored as a nature reserve - geograph.org.uk - 189812.jpg
caption2A Pond at a nature reserve in Kinsey Heath, Audlem, Cheshire, with a tripod from which a weather rock hangs.
other_nameWeather stone
classificationWeather joke
usesWeather forecasting
::

| name = Weather rock | caption = A weather stone at the Craven Arms pub and cruck barn, Barden, Craven, North Yorkshire, reputedly more accurate than Paul Hudson, a local BBC weather man | image = Weather Stone - geograph.org.uk - 1763606.jpg | image2 = Pond restored as a nature reserve - geograph.org.uk - 189812.jpg | image2_size = | image2 size = | caption2 = A Pond at a nature reserve in Kinsey Heath, Audlem, Cheshire, with a tripod from which a weather rock hangs. | image3 = | image3_size = | image3 size = | title3 = | alt3 = | caption3 = | other_name = Weather stone | classification = Weather joke | uses = Weather forecasting | types = | used_with = | inventor = | manufacturer = | model = | related = The weather rock or weather stone is a humorous display that pokes fun at the intricate technology used in modern weather forecasts, as well as the fact that their accuracy is less than perfect. A rock is typically hung from a tripod and accompanied by a sign indicating how to read it. A portable example of such a display, "the famous Maine Weather Stone" of Audubon Camp, Hog Island, was described in late 1981.

Instructions

Some examples of the instructions commonly provided for "reading" a weather rock include:

  • If the rock is wet, it's raining.
  • If the rock is swinging, the wind is blowing.
  • If the rock casts a shadow, the sun is shining.
  • If the rock does not cast a shadow and is not wet, the sky is cloudy.
  • If the rock is difficult to see, it is foggy.
  • If the rock is white, it is snowing.
  • If the rock is coated with ice, there is a frost.
  • If the ice is thick, it's a heavy frost.
  • If the rock is bouncing, there is an earthquake.
  • If the rock is under water, there is a flood.
  • If the rock is warm, it is sunny.
  • If the rock is missing, there is a tornado.
  • If the rock is wet and swinging violently, there is a hurricane.
  • If the rock can be felt but not seen, it is night time.
  • If the rock has white splats on it, watch out for birds.
  • If the rock is levitating, you're stoned.
  • If there are two rocks, you're drunk.

Weather rocks will sometimes include rules for proper maintenance of the system such as, "Please do not disturb the weather rock, it is a finely tuned instrument!"

String variation

In certain circumstances the string may be incorporated into the saying:

  • If the string is on fire then there is a bushfire.
  • If the string is cut a Wendigo has passed by.

Locations

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/The_Milestone_weather_forecasting_stone_-geograph.org.uk-_1708774.jpg" caption="Milestone Weather Forecasting Stone, [[Newtown St Boswells]], [[Scottish Borders"] ::

Weather rocks are located all over the world. Some examples include:

References

References

  1. Eric Shackle, [http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2006/03/found_worlds_ol.php Found - World's Oldest Weather Stone], Open Writing, March 26, 2006, retrieved February 11, 2011.
  2. Robert Deis, [https://books.google.com/books?id=dV8hAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Stone+is+wet%22 Leave the Kids and Radio to Home], Down East: The Magazine of Maine, April 1982, retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. [http://www.nj.gov/military/publications/guardlife/volume27n2/weatherrock.htm The Weather Rock], ''Guardlife'' volume 27 number 2, retrieved September 8, 2011.
  4. (2022-02-07). "READER PHOTO: Elliott's "Weather Rock"".
  5. "Google Maps".
  6. [https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2590339,-122.5729676,3a,41.8y,337.17h,78.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVOltZFIpRvznm-85-HiEnw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656], ''Google Maps Street View''
  7. [https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5251489,-83.3626978,3a,23.7y,6.41h,93.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD3IaEYKTw_7yUUHGsuIFzQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192], ''Google Maps Street View''
  8. "Pannawonica, Ashburton Shire, Western Australia, Australia".
  9. "お天気石". The Kiseki Museum of World Stones.

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