The name comes from a lifelong habit of watching the sky the way people did before radar existed: red skies at night, ring around the moon, the way animals behave before a storm rolls in. None of it replaces a real forecast model — but it's a tradition worth keeping alive alongside the modern tools, and it's more often right than you'd expect.
Most people don't understand what a "witch" really is. No, they don't fly around on broomsticks, turning people into toads (believe me, if that were possible, I'd be all over it; I already have a Toad List). A witch is basically anyone—male, female, or otherwise—who lives life in tune with nature and the cycles of the seasons, and who gathers wisdom from the natural world. Witches were/are herbalists, gardeners/farmers, midwives, healers of all sorts, the elders of their communities—and yes, weather watchers!
While I do not intend this site to be specifically about witchcraft, I thought it interesting that the practice of witchcraft includes weather watching and forecasting. Although it may seem silly in today's world of amazing technology, keep in mind that a lot of today's science comes from these "old ways." People who live in harmony with nature are generally more aware of tiny shifts that may have big impacts down the line. Have you ever seen the TV show Psych? It's about a young man who convinces the police department to hire him as a psychic to help solve cases. But he wasn't actually psychic; he was just incredibly observant (and this was a LEARNED skill that was taught by his father). He was able to see tiny little clues that were overlooked by others--and to those who did not possess this skill, this certainly seemed like psychic abilty.
The term "weather witch" is new to me as a specific type of witch. I've included links so you can do your own research, as I don't feel qualified to dig too deeply just yet. But I will offer my opinion about some of the material I've read so far...and I'm a bit disappointed. Most resources I've found are more focused on spells to CHANGE the weather--repelling storms, or causing rain during a drought, etc. Again, just my opinion, but I find that a bit unfair. Witches were falsely accused of all sorts of awful things, and bad weather was one of them (see this link). Now, I'm a believer in positive intent and energy manipulation (to an extent), but I'm also a logical person. Witches weren't pointing sticks at the sky, saying magic words, and causing instantaneous weather change. They learned, through experience, what types of clouds and wind conditions meant rain vs. sunshine. In short: they were just better prepared to handle whatever the weather happened to do. Just like the young man in Psych, they had observational skills that seemed "otherworldly" to people who weren't as observant.
Even in this day and age, to my logical and science-based mind, a lot of things seem like "magic" because I don't know how they work. Now imagine back in the 15th/16th century, how magical almost any kind of knowledge would seem to those who did not possess it. Especially when those who watched the sky and predicted a dry season planted drought-resistant crops, while everyone else's water-loving crops withered. Knowledge is indeed power, and the whole point of knowledge is that you're supposed to LEARN it.
A short history
I have been a lover of storms and wild weather ever since I was a child. I grew up in what is now a part of the expanded Tornado Alley, and tornado watches/warnings were not uncommon when thunderstorms would roll through. I wasn't afraid of storms; I found them exciting!
A funny story about my early childhood weather forecasting abilities. I could always tell when we were going to get rain. I explained it to my parents: "Because the house across the street gets whiter whenever it's about to rain." Now, as a hopefully-much-wiser adult, I realize that the white house across the street would indeed appear even whiter in contrast with dark storm clouds. But I was pretty damn proud of myself back then!