As an island formed by alluvial sediment, Chongming has a history of more than 1,300 years. Located at the mouth of Yangtze River, it is surrounded by the river on three sides and facing the sea on one side. Due to its unique geographical location, it is more vulnerable to storms and spring tides, and thus weather plays an important part in activities like farming, fishing, foreign trade and shipping. In order to adapt to and change production and living conditions, residents needed to timely understand and master weather changes. Consequently, they began to ponder over weather changes in their production and living practice. They compared daily phenomena and objects with actual weather changes, and gradually understood relevant relations. After repeated discovery, gradual accumulation and constant revision, the unique Chongming weather proverbs (easy to read and well-known to every household) were finally formed. The weather proverbs reflect the accumulated knowledge by the Chongming residents while fighting against the nature. They come from practices, and later become valuable weather forecasts after being tested in practices. Characterized by scientificity, practicability and wide application, they still have unique application value.

The Chongming weather proverbs mainly predict weather according to changes of four seasons, as well as changes of wind, cloud, rain, snow, lightning, frost, fog, dew, halo, rainbow, bloom, haze, sun, moon, stars, animals and inanimate objects.