
Another source for weather prophecy is the Old Farmer's Almanac. The first publication of the Farmer's Almanac was released in 1792 and has been in continuous print every year since. And, instead of relying on a rodent to make assumptions about the weather, the Almanac's weather predictions are based on a formula created by Robert B. Thomas, after an extensive study of weather patterns, solar activity, and astronomy cycles. This formula is still used today, with a few modifications based on climatology studies, and it uses the 30 year statistical average to predict temperature and precipitation deviations. Thomas' increased scientific approach resulted in accuracy gains of 10-15% over its animal counterparts. But, that's still only equivalent to a coin flip.
The strangest form of weather prediction I have read about involves an onion. Cromniomancy uses the sprouting tendencies, skin thickness, and moisture content of onions to predict everything from the location of lost loved ones to the amount of rain you will receive in each month of the year. Regardless of which method you choose to accept or not accept, weather prediction has been a part of human culture for many generations, and it will be an important part of our future.
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - Alan Kay