Drivel About Drizzle? Talking about the weather is anything but small talk

… complete triviality … or one of the most profound ways humans connect? …

Aug 07, 2025

Talking about the weather is often dismissed as idle chatter, trivial conversation, the ultimate small talk, or a polite way to fill a silence. But is it really so trivial or could it be one of the most profound ways humans connect?

Weather is the one thing we all share, every single day. A farmer in England, a stockbroker in Pakistan, and a traveler in Patagonia will wake up and check the weather app or take a peek at the sky.

Weather is the most democratic conversation starter. “Typical weather for August.” - “Nice day, isn’t it?” - “Can you believe this heat?” When two strangers meet and one says, “Looks like rain,” it might sound like nothing, but it’s highly likely an invitation to connect. Talking about the weather becomes a micro-moment of solidarity. It bridges gaps of culture, class, age, personality types, and even language. People can talk about weather on an equal playing field: introverts and extroverts, young and old, employed and unemployed, and so on. It doesn’t even need to be vocalized. A raised eyebrow toward dark clouds is universally understood.

People love predictability but are also drawn to events of surprise and suddenness. Weather gives us both. Mild spring days may go unnoticed, but a sudden out-of-season snowstorm, a record heatwave, or an electric thunderstorm will dominate conversations and social feeds. These variations spark curiosity and awe. They remind us that nature is bigger than our plans.

Most people have opinions about local weather events. Why? Because it’s personal. You can ignore politics, but you can’t ignore the sky. Weather talk is often code for how we feel: rainy days and melancholy; sunny skies and optimism; storms and turbulence. Our language is filled with metaphors linking weather and mood. “It’s a bit gloomy today” sometimes means “I feel a bit low myself.”

In a world of digital isolation, talking about the weather keeps us grounded in the here and now. It’s a shared reality check, a reminder that we live in physical spaces, not just virtual ones. See that cloud over your town? Someone else nearby sees it too.

Talking about weather isn’t just drivel about drizzle. It’s connection. It’s belonging. It’s an acknowledgment that, no matter how divided we seem, there is something happening in the sky above that unites us all.

***

Whether the weather be fine,

Or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold,

Or whether the weather be hot,

We’ll weather the weather

Whatever the weather

Whether we like it or not.

- Anonymous