At this moment you may be in possession of something that can predict the weather more accurately than a meteorologist.
Do you have any random thing at all? Then you are in possession of many items that are equally good at predicting the weather as a weatherperson.
THIS on the other hand will be an even better forecaster. In fact, it will never be wrong.
Are you familiar with weather sticks? They're branches from one specific type of tree that can predict the weather based on whether they're pointing up or down. Like a barometer. And you might have an entire tree filled with them in your house right now.
I've always had what someone might call a mild curiosity with the weather. Everyone else would call it a quaint quirk she might want to have analyzed.
When I first started in television my dream wasn't to work for HGTV or HBO - it was to work for The Weather Network. I did in fact get called in to audition for The Weather Network at the beginning of my career but was gently told I was too fun and entertaining. This is what happens when in your audition you warn residents of Japan to prepare for a massive, terrible tycoon about to blow in. Then you maybe go on about how the last time it rained tycoons the stock market took a real hit and blah, blah, blah ... before you know it you've lost a job.
One of the first weather related things I remember being obsessed with was a Weather Stick my parents had when I was young.
Photo taken on my front porch during a dreary, rainy day.
When I moved into my own house I got my own. Weather sticks have been around parts of Canada and the US for centuries. Which of course means they were first used by the Original original, the Indigenous.
The ¼" stick is just the branch from a tree that points up when the there's low humidity (normally associated with nice weather) and it points down when there's high humidity (associated with rain and storms).
You'd think that you could use any stick for this but as it turns out, you can't. There's one tree that forms its branches a little bit differently than any other tree.
And that tree is the Balsam Fir.
The tree you *might* have in your house right now decorated for Christmas.
The Science of Weather Sticks
A Balsam Fir is the only tree (that I know of) that reacts to the weather in this way and it's because of something called "Reaction Wood". Reaction wood is wood on a tree that reacts to the stresses of the environment. Normally trees have reaction wood all around their branches. For instance, if a tree has strong winds coming from the East it will develop stronger wood on that side of the tree as a reaction.
The Balsam Fir has its "reaction wood" only on the underside of its branches. Which means the cell structure of the branch on the underside is different and will expand and contract based on moisture. This is what makes the stick move up and down. The underside of the branch is pulling and relaxing making the stick go up and down based on the moisture in the air. Like a ligament under your finger for example.
How to Identify a Balsam Fir
So now you want to know if your Christmas tree is a Balsam Fir. I'm afraid that part's a little bit difficult to figure out on your own, so pay attention to what you're buying when you get your tree.
A Balsam Fir is easy to tell apart from a Spruce because a Balsam Fir has soft needles that don't hurt when you touch them. This isn't true for the angry, angry needles of a Spruce tree.
Identifying a Balsam Fir compared to a Fraser Fir however is best left to the professionals. Tree farmers, dendrologists, Santa. Those kind of people.
Someone who is a tree expert could probably tell the difference between a Fraser Fir and a Balsam Fir but to anyone else they look pretty much the same. Flat needles, two white stripes on the underside of the needle and a dull tip. Whoever is selling the tree to you should know what it is.
The only tip I can give you if you've already bought your tree is if you can feel the point of the needles when you wrap your hand around a branch (it won't really hurt, but you'll be able to feel pionts), chances are better that it's a Frasier Fir.
The good news is, when you buy those miniature trees, they're normally Balsam Firs. So to make your own weather sticks you can buy a single 2'-4', $19 Balsam Fir and get several weather sticks out of it plus a nice little tree for inside or on your porch.
Make a Weather Stick from a Balsam Fir
Technique #1
- Get yourself a Balsam Fir. Look for one that has several thin, long straight branches coming out of the trunk.
2. Pick a branch that's ¼" in diameter or so and cut it where it meets the trunk.
3. Clip off the smaller branches coming out of your main branch and then gently peel or scrape the bark and needles off.
4. Allow your stripped branches to dry out for a day or so.
4. Cut small mounting plates out of scraps of wood. Drill a hole in the centre of the mounting plate with a regular drill and drill bit that corresponds to the size of your twig. You might need different sized drill bits for each twig. Squirt a tiny bit of wood glue into the hole and then push the twig into it.
5. Hang your weather stick outdoors in a protected area.
Weather Stick Tips
- Make sure you check for long straight branches. Trees that are pruned like commercially sold Christmas trees are pruned to within an inch of their life. This means a lot of the branches will be all squirrely pointing this way and that.
- Your stick should be a length of around 14-16".
- You can also cut the trunk into 4" sections and chisel away the branch from the trunk so you have a built in mounting plate. This is a slightly harder, more time consuming way of making a weather stick.
- Hang your weather stick so that it is hanging opposite to the way it grew on the tree. This will make sure it turns "up" in good weather and goes "down" in bad.
Advanced Weather Stick
Technique #2
- Cut all inappropriate (bent, thick or stumpy) branches off of the tree, leaving only thin straight sticks that haven't been pruned.
You'll be left with the world's most scraggly tree.
2. Cut the tree trunk into 4-6" lengths with the potential weather sticks in the centre.
3. Chisel the stick away from the trunk, leaving enough trunk to act as a base.
4. Strip the stick and trunk of bark. (NOTE: This year, 2023, I'm going to experiment with allowing the branch to dry until the bark falls off on its own)
4. Drill a hole into the base for hanging.
Look over your shoulder to make sure no one is watching you talk about the weather with your tree.
Weather sticks! The perfect little add on Christmas gift for those who like something fun and entertaining. So basically everybody but The Weather Network.
Randy P
Cute pics by the way - of course for those seeking something more durable than a length of branch, there is always.........
Karen
LOL. love that. ~ karen!
Denise
Oh. My. Stars.
I am laughing so hard. 🤣
A Tycoon coming. Japan weather.
😹
Melissa
I wonder if this is the type of wood that water witching use?
Karen
I think you can use anything for that. People even use coat hangers and grapevines. ~ karen!
Idaho Girl
Do we get to see your front porch dressed up for Christmas? We got to see fall/Halloween, so it seems only fair to see Christmas!
P.S. I have a rhododendron branch you can have...
Karen
If I have time I'll do front porch shots, yes! :) I normally do but I think I missed last year. ~ karen!
NikiDee
Well now I've gotta do this. I'll take a branch forecasting the weather over any news weather anchor. I mean, it's the only job where you can be continually wrong and not get fired! Go Balsam Fir!
Karen
Looks like you have a lot of trees ... start looking, lol! ~ karen
NikiDee
LOL! Indeed. Thirty of our sixty acres are trees. I've been wanting to identify them, now I have a good reason.
NikiDee
Oh now I have to do this. I can tell this little branch will be way more accurate than any weather channel. The only profession where you can continually be wrong and still keep your job. Gimme the branch anytime.
Susan Alexander
Just confirming that they will only work if placed outside. I have a working barometer, and a water barometer (like they used in ships, so they say) in my kitchen, so I’m wondering if my stick barometer would work in the house as well.
Such a cool idea!
Wish there was an easy way of mounting it outside, when giving it as a gift. Any ideas?
Thanks!!
Tracey in GA
You’re hilarious! The weather sticks are really neat, but you’re delivery of the story is the best. You make me laugh. That’s for putting a smile on my face.
Mary W
How long do they work? Seems they would be dried out later and quit. They are actually pretty if you love (which I do) the rustic charm. I know that dandylions follow the sun each day as do sunflowers. They work in a similar fashion with cells in their stems that stretch or shrink in sunlight so that they always face the sun. I find this not only amazing how nature works but also very fun to see. I've thought of at least 10 snarky remarks concerning this but didn't. You're welcome. I did check out the names of the commentors and think the males have decided to skip the comments today.
Karen
Hey! No, they don't seem to dry out, I know a few people who've used theirs for over a decade anyway. ~ karen!
p
Mine would never point up where I live on the border of Ky and Tn... Moisture R Us
How cool though!!
This reminds me of my trip to Barbados where I took a rickety bumby lengthy bus tour up into some hills and there were random sheep and goats which all had short hair due to the climate and therefore looked alike. The tour guide told us that the way to tell them apart was to look at whether their tails were pointing up (goats) or down (sheep). I couldn't really hear the guide (driver) so I was confused for awhile as to why the passengers were yelling sporadically, "GOATS!" "SHEEP!"
Christine
You should wear pink every day of your life! You look amazing!
linda in illinois
Amazing as always.
JB
Rhododendrons do a similar thing, but they're affected by temperature rather than humidity! When I was in middle school I noticed that the massive rhododendron next to our front door in Connecticut changed according to temperature. I ended up doing a Science Fair project about it, making a giant thermometer (looked more like a gallows) and calibrated it according to the angle of the branches. Cool!
Karen
Interesting! Now I'm going to have to search out a neighbour with one that I can steal a branch from. ~ karen
Meg
Oh yeah and then tell us about it. I only know their leaves curl up tightly when it gets too cold! BRRR! That's how you know it's *really* cold out
Jane S
The easiest way to tell the difference between balsam and Fraser it is the price. Fraser fir is twice the price of balsam.
Jenny W
You never cease to amaze me, Lady!
I need these in my life, so I'm off to a few Christmas Tree Lot's to see if anyone sells Balsam Fir.
Maybe I will be able to get a few lower branches there :)
ps: All of my candles purchased for Christmas have a Balsam Fir scent, so much nicer than Pine!
Marilyn Meagher
Did your calendar skip to April? I shall be investigating...it would be a karen move to have all these people everywhere industriously stripping balsam fir trees of their branches to make ..ahem..”weather sticks”..
Katherine Connors
Morning Karen! On 1st glance, the finished one posted on your front porch looked to be attached by custom made metal work (ws thinking perhaps done by blacksmith-would be vry cool looking!-read it @ unholy hr of 2:45am too-ugg! Now by 2nd cup of coffee looks store bought/painted but unsure length & what exactly they are? Pls do tell? Thx!!
Cheapdiva
It looks to me like a bracket you would use to wrap the cords of a shade with - a cleat. Bet Karen just then bent then “arms” of it over the base to hold it in place.
Karen
Yep. :) ~ karen!
Karen
Hi Katherine. Oh! That's just an old bracket I had on my porch, lol. It was for winding rope around. I'm not even sure why I have it there. So instead of nailing the weather stick to my porch I tucked it into the bracket and secured it that way. ~ karen!
Letty Regan
I'm from California so this is new to me. How does the branch move if it's glued into the mounting base and the base is attached to a wall?
Kea
The branch would be bending up or down, not sliding! Like a certain, ahem, piece of anatomy that's still attached when it moves....
Karen
Yes. good. That's a better way to describe it, lol. ~ karen!
Karen
The actual branch bends down and up. Because it's thin it's flexible. Think of it as having a string on the tip of it. In bad weather someone is pulling the string down. In good weather someone is pulling the string up. The base stays the same, just the branch moves. ~ karen!
Paula
That is so much fun! I had no idea.
Tina
Oh! How I wish I was a family member!