Forecast the weather in the traditional manner - of 1750! Admiral Robert FitzRoy, the famous sailor and meteorologist, used the Storm Glass aboard the HMS Beagle during his historic voyage with Darwin. After 250 years, how the Storm Glass works is still uncertain. The appearance of the crystals inside the glass indicates changes in the weather.

A storm glass is a type of weather-forecasting device, composed of a sealed glass container, filled with liquid, that allows the user to forecast the weather by observing the appearance of the liquid in the glass.

The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several ingredients, most commonly distilled water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, and camphor. This specific mixture was developed by Admiral FitzRoy.

1. If there are large flakes throughout the liquid, it will be overcast in temperate seasons or snowy in the winter.
2. If there are threads near the top, it will be warming or windy.
3. If the liquid contains small stars on sunny winter days, then snow is coming.
   If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates frost.
4. A cloudy glass with small stars indicates thunderstorms.
5. If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright and clear.

• Sealed glass chamber holds the crystals and is encapsulated in a beautifully crafted metal cylinder.
• Display freestanding or mounted to a wall.
• Available in polished chrome.
• Comes in a custom-fitted presentation box.
• Diameter: 1 1/4" (31.75 mm). Height: 6 1/2" (165 mm).
• Weight/mass: 11oz (317.5 g).

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The photograph to the left was taken prior to a winter storm that brought freezing rain and sleet to us. It was snowing just west of us and raining to our east. Take a look at a really big (1500x2450) image of the FitzRoy storm glass before an ice, sleet, and snow event. The FitzRoy Storm Glass is available with a polished chrome finish. Further information on this type of storm glass is found in a set of articles by Sergey P. Fediaev entitled Observation Over Work of the Device "STORM GLASS" (translated from Russian by M. Dvoretskaya, the link is courtesy of the Wayback Machine Internet archive).

The pedestal base detaches to convert into a wall mount if desired. (All conversion pieces are included, no need to purchase a separate mount.) Gift wrap orders: input salutation in the comment section at the end of the ordering process.

Click to enlarge.