The Spanish have a bit of interesting weather folklore. They believe that the weather on the first twelve days of January foretells the weather for the twelve months of the coming year. For example, if January 1st dawns cool and clear, then warms up during the day, then it rains that night, January will start off cool and clear, warm up at mid-month and be rainy toward the end of the month. The period is called the Cabanuelas, from the Spanish word cabana or small cabin. The twelve cabanas house the weather.
So, if you believe this piece of interesting folklore, here is a prediction of the weather for the coming 12 months in Central Alabama based on the forecast for the next twelve months:
JANUARY: should start out cool, then seasonable for the remainder of the month (yeah right…)
FEBRUARY: A wet start with seasonable temperatures, but dry for the second half of the month.
MARCH: Seasonable temperatures with above average precipitation.
APRIL: Warmer and wetter than normal.
MAY: Stormy and wet.
JUNE: Near normal temperatures and normal precipitation.
JULY: Wet and cool.
AUGUST: Cool.
SEPTEMBER: Cool with a wet start.
OCTOBER: Cool and wet.
NOVEMBER: Cool and dry.
DECEMBER: Cool and dry.
So that’s a tongue in cheek look at what 2009 looks like in Birmingham according to the Spanish Cabanuelas weather folklore. Kind of our own little Farmer’s Almanac, huh?
We will have to wait for the real results January 1-12 to update our predictions, as a lot will likely change in the real weather over the next twelve days.
