Storm Glass Weather Station

What Is A Weather Predicting Storm Glass?

First introduced during the 18th century by Admiral Robert FitzRoy, a storm glass is designed to predict the weather while also serving as a decorative piece. It consists of a sealed glass vessel that contains a chemical mixture. As weather conditions change, the mixture within crystallizes and takes new form. This process is interesting to watch and the glass vessel is often elegantly crafted, making the storm glass a beautiful gift for almost any occasion.

FitzRoy carefully documented his claims on how the storm glass would predict the weather:

storm glass predict the weather

• 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”

Historical Significance of the Weather Predicting Storm Glass

It is said that Captain Robert FitzRoy, as mentioned above, developed the storm glass while navigating the world with Charles Darwin in the 1850’s. After a raging storm hit their ship, FitzRoy’s barometer was disrupted, which then inspired FitzRoy to create the weather predicting storm glass. Thus, the first weather predicting device to incorporate the concepts of temperature, pressure, and humidity was born.”

“Do Storm Glass or Chemical Weather Glasses Really Work and How Accurate are They?

Peppermint Cafe – Storm Glass Weather Station

Whilst Storm Glasses or Chemical Weather Glasses are very attractive experiments and observations show they really act as a kind of thermoscope, inferior for most of the purposes of observation, to the thermometer and that temperature change is the sole cause of crystal growth in storm glasses

In terms of quality, the main factor to consider is the chemical mixture inside. The higher the quality, the clearer the crystal formations will be”

“How do Weather Predicting Storm Glasses Work?

The storm glass works by predicting the weather 1 to 3 days in advance. The special mixture within will create different formations depending on a number of environmental factors. These varying formations are then interpreted in order to predict the upcoming weather conditions. The mixture is usually made of ethanol, distilled water, ammonium chloride, potassium nitrate, and camphor.

Different weather conditions, such as snow, increasing temperatures, rain, wind and sunshine, will each look different inside the storm glass.”

How do Weather Predicting Storm Glasses Work

“Why Get a Weather Predicting Storm Glass?

Simply put, weather predicting storm glasses are a perfect combination of functionality and elegance. Whether it’s a housewarming gift, holiday gift, birthday gift or a gift for yourself, it’s hard to go wrong with a weather predicting storm glass. Their beauty and function are both timeless and universal. Some may even say that weather predicting storm glasses the new snow globes!”

“Is your Storm Glass not doing anything?”

How to reset your Storm Glass

The objective of resetting the storm glass is to dissolve the crystals completely into the liquid, so that the liquid becomes completely clear with no crystals or sediment in the tube.

To reset the storm glass you want to slowly heat the tube while at the same time tilting it back and forth to mix the crystals back into the liquid. You only need to slightly warm the tube, not get it hot. You are only heating the tube and the liquid so that it is slightly above room temperature. Warming the tube causes the crystals to dissolve into the liquid and tilting it back and forth helps to mix them back into the solution.

The best way to warm the storm glass and reset it is to use a hair dryer on low fan and low heat. Slowly move the hair dryer across the tube to heat it evenly while at the same time tilting the tube back and forth to mix the liquid.

Important points:

* Don’t use too much heat or the glass will crack
* Heat the tube evenly, move the hair dryer back and forth and don’t leave it in one spot too long
* Keep the hair dryer a short distance away, too close could generate too much heat
* Don’t shake the tube, just gently rock it back and forth
* Be patient, resist the urge to shake it or turn the heat higher.

It’s very important not to use too much heat. Remember the storm glass is a sealed glass tube with liquid inside and it can crack or explode if you heat it too hot or too quickly. Make sure to heat evenly and slowly so that one part does not get too hot too quickly. Creating a hot spot or uneven heating of the glass can lead to breakage. Remember you are dissolving the crystals, not melting them. If the air from the hair dryer is getting too hot for your hands, then it is also too hot for the storm glass.

It takes about 15 minutes of slowly heating and tilting the storm glass for the crystals to completely dissolve. You should end up with a tube full of completely clear liquid with no crystals or sediment in the bottom. If your tube has more crystal growth than mine did, it may take longer than 15 minutes to completely dissolve everything. This takes time, so be patient.

Finally, allow the storm glass to cool completely and then gently install it back in its holder. Place the storm glass in a stable area of your house, away from air drafts, open windows or direct sunlight.