The state of the weather is almost the first topic of conversation when people meet, which is not surprising when it is a matter of such importance to our well being, health, prosperity, and even to life itself. Accurate weather predictions have always been an important human ambition and one that for some could ensure their success or failure. The result has been the framing of a rough set of rules about the weather. Some of these observations have become proverbs; others have taken the shape of rhymes; while many have been passed down by word of mouth, as mere records of facts.