If there are a lot of berries on the hawthorn bushes, expect a hard winter. Mony haws, mony snaws (Traditional). In this well-known saying, the mey refers to the may or hawthorn blossom: in spring Ne’er cast a clout till mey be oot.
It makes a lot of sense to be sure that the cow-quake and the gowk’s storm are also over before removing your winter clothing. The first of these is a spell of bad weather that chills the cattle newly turned out on spring pasture and the arrival of the gowk or cuckoo is often coincidental with a short sharp storm in late April or early May.
If the oak comes out before the ash, the summer it will be a splash.
If the ash comes out before the oak, the summer it will be a soak.
This pair of sayings caused me some confusion as a child. I anxiously scanned oak and ash buds to see whether summer would be accompanied by splashing rain or soaking rain. I have since been informed that ‘splash’ refers to sunshine. I remain unconvinced.