I have an Admiral FitzRoy Storm Glass. What is that? It is a glass tube that is filled with “stuff” that crystallizes in curious ways to predict the weather. They have been around for eons, but were made famous by Admiral Robert FitzRoy, who took one with Charles Darwin on the HMS Beagle. You can read about the glass online. Here’s one link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_glass
The weather prediction is done by looking at the way the crystals are formed in the glass. According to Admiral FitzRoy’s “research” here are the rules:
- If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright and clear.
- If the liquid is cloudy, the weather will be cloudy as well, perhaps with precipitation.
- If there are small dots in the liquid, humid or foggy weather can be expected.
- A cloudy glass with small stars indicates thunderstorms.
- If the liquid contains small stars on sunny winter days, then snow is coming.
- If there are large flakes throughout the liquid, it will be overcast in temperate seasons or snowy in the winter.
- If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates frost.
- If there are threads near the top, it will be windy.
My glass has been nothing but clear since I put it up last Winter, which doesn’t bode well for its reputation for accuracy given the weather we have been having lately. I was beginning to think that it was a dud. But then, suddenly on Thursday night, last…. it did this.
Frost? Interesting. Especially since the really bad storms had gone past by Friday, and Saturday was gorgeous…. and it’s July. But the crystals are cute anyway. Here’s a closeup.
The glass works…. it’s just a little slow on the uptake. Or perhaps it’s predicting next Winter’s weather. Work with me.