Quick Reference Created: 1805 by Royal Navy Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. Range: Force 0 (calm, less than 1 mph) through Force 12 (hurricane, 73 mph and above). Original purpose: Standardize sailing condition reports across the British Navy. Adopted: Royal Navy 1838, internationally 1853, land observations added 1916. Why still used: Lets observers describe wind without

Quick Reference: Natural Ways To Get Rid of Wasps Best season to act: Early spring, before queens build nests. Top deterrent scents: Peppermint, clove, geranium, lemongrass, citronella. Easiest fix: Seal trash cans, rinse soda cans, pick up fallen fruit. Trap placement: Far from patios, doors, pools, and play areas. Call a pro when: Nest is

Quick Reference: Farmers’ Almanac Summer Forecast Issued: annually each March for the coming summer. Forecast period: June through August (meteorological summer). Method: 200-year-old formula combining sunspot cycles, lunar position, tidal pull, and historical patterns. Published accuracy: 80-85% by the Almanac’s own self-tracking. Format: 7-zone US map plus 5-zone Canadian map, by month and region. 2026

Wildflowers have a special way of turning any patch of ground into a living tapestry of color while asking very little in return. Whether you dream of a sweeping meadow that dances in the breeze or a simple border along the vegetable garden, these hardy natives bring beauty, support bees and butterflies, improve soil health,

Quick Reference: Firefly vs Lightning Bug Same insect: there is no biological difference. They are the same beetle (family Lampyridae). Regional split: South and Midwest say lightning bug. New England, West Coast, and most of the rest of the country say firefly. Why both names: 18th-century settlers from different European regions used different translations of

Learn how hurricanes are named, and see the names for this season and next. Did yours make the list?

If you ask Farmers’ Almanac readers to fill in the blank on “My favorite season is _____,” you are not going to get one-word answers for long. We posed that exact question on facebook, and the responses poured in, with plenty of passion, personality, and a few curveballs. Some readers picked a clear winner. Others

Quick Reference: Planetary Retrogrades What it is: apparent backward motion of a planet against the stars, viewed from Earth. Why it happens: orbital geometry. Earth overtakes outer planets (or is overtaken by Mercury and Venus). Mercury retrograde: 3-4 times per year, 3 weeks each. Communication, contracts, travel. Venus retrograde: every 18 months, 40 days. Relationships,

If you’ve been craving a reason to look up from the to-do list, March 3 delivers. Skywatchers are calling it a “planetary parade”, a stretch of evenings when multiple planets gather in the same general sweep of sky along the ecliptic (the Sun’s path), creating that rare feeling that the whole solar system showed up

No weather app needed, just your eyes, ears, and a quick step outside. One warm day doesn’t mean winter’s done… but when nature starts flipping switches, that’s when an early spring is truly on the way. Here are 7 reliable signs from nature (and a fun way to keep score) that people have watched for