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First invented in the mid-1700s, Storm Glass soon made its way into ships and harbors around Europe to help give warning of approaching bad weather.
It gained the most fame through Admiral FitzRoy who used a Storm Glass on the voyage in which he and Darwin traveled to the Galápagos Islands. As a result, the instrument is sometimes called a ‘FitzRoy Storm Glass’.

Image Credit: NightHawkInLight
What the Storm Glass Can Predict
- Clear liquid: Bright weather.
- Crystals at the bottom: Thick air, frost in winter.
- Dim liquid with small stars: Thunderstorms.
- Large flakes: Heavy air, overcast sky, snow in winter.
- Threads in the upper portion of liquid: Windy weather.
- Small dots: Damp weather, fog.
- Rising flakes which remain high: Wind in the upper air regions.
- Small stars: In winter on bright, sunny days, snow in one or two days.
- The higher the crystals rise in the glass tube in winter the colder it will be.
Related Content: Are you Prepared for the Next Big Winter Storm?
Composition:
- Vodka, 100 Proof (50% Ethanol) – 300 mL
- Camphor – 28g (1oz)
- Potassium Nitrate – 10g
- Ammonium Chloride – 10g
Some of these chemicals may be difficult to obtain in certain parts of the world. However, if you are able to find Camphor, it’s possible that Potassium Nitrate or Ammonium Chloride could be substituted for other soluble salts, such as Sodium Chloride (I have not tested this).
How To Make a STORM GLASS To Predict The Weather
Bonus: Root Cellar That Can Be Used as a Bunker
Do you remember the old root cellars our great-grandparents used to have? In fact, they probably built it themselves, right in their back yard.
If you want to learn how to build a backyard bunker like your grandparents had, without breaking the bank, then you need Easy Cellar.
Easy Cellar will show you:
- How to choose the ideal site
- Cost-effective building methods
- How to protect your bunker from nuclear blast and fallout
- How to conceal your bunker
- Affordable basic life support options
Easy Cellar will also reveal how a veteran, with only $421, built a small nuclear bunker in his backyard.
Also included:
- America's Natural Nuclear Bunkers: Find the Closest One to Your Home
- 56 Items to Stockpile in Your Easy Cellar