DIVISION O B
TELE6RAM AND REPORTS BOR THZ BENHIT OP COMIF,Rtl ANI! ~CRICILTl~BE,
I N 'I' R 0 D U C: T 1 0 N .
In preparing this REVIEW tlie following M.a, recei\7ed np t,o February Y O t h , have beell used,
. viz : the regular tri- daily weather clii~rts, cont:iiniug t.he c1nt.a of' siinult,aneoiis observations taken
at 136 Signal &mice sta.tions and 1.5 O:tna,dinn statioiis, a.4 t,elegraphed t,o this office ; 181 monthly
jo-ils and 171 monthly means from the former, :iud 14 nicmthly means froni the latter ; reports
from 5 Sunset statione ; 341 monthly registers from Volnntary Obserk-ern ; 67 moutlily registers
ii.om United $ta.t.e8 Army Post, Snrgeous ; Mmiite Recrwds ; 1ntermbt.innal Sininlt,aneons Observa-
tions ; montlilj report# from Vdiintary Observer% in, itnd the 10cd Weather Services of Iowa
a.ncl Missoiiri a.nd of' the Cent,ral Pacific Railway 00. ; reliable newspapx est,rach ; special reports.
B 4 R O M E E ' R I C PRES8CTRE,
The isobarometric lines iu black nu chart No. 11 show the nieatn pressure tbr the month of January, 1.8$1. Conipa.ret1 wibh chart8 No. I1 of the preceding REVIEW it will be seen that the mea of mem high barometer ltas advanced east, t,owards the Atbntic cQafst, at learnst wit.ldn the
limitw of t,he United States, while the area of nienn lorn ba.ro1netct.r remained cent.ral in the North Atlantic. This easterly movement ha.s been more in t.lie form of' a,n est.ension of' the high a,rea
of lmt month towa,rds the east,, as t,he ceut,re of' grea,test pressnre rentains in the Mississippi valley, where the niean barometer for the itioutli is slight,ly Mow t1in.t of the preceding month. The most marked change iu the nie:in niontlily pressure occm-retl on the Pacific OOHS~. The. mea
of mean low ba,rnmet.er, ceutml in the N0rt.h l?i,ci6c liist month id inclnrling Washingtou Terri- tory and Oregon in t,lie sout,heasfern quatlrant with a prensnre of 29.88, ha,^ been replaced by a
mea,n pressure of 30.08 at Olympia a,nd 30.14 at Portla.ud and a general increase of iwessure at all &&ions 011 t,be coa,&t. Compared wit,ii t,Iie January of hst yea.r it will be observed that tlie distribution of pressure wm st,rikingl,y clifferea t in the two months. The preRsure during January,
1880, was greatest on tlie Atlantic coast, with an area of' low pressure near t,he cent.re of the con- tinent, and t,his was accompanied by the highest mean temperatnre olwwvecl for many years at
northern Rtatioiis, while the reverse obtains (luring the Jauiwry of 1881, both as regards pressure
DeprtGuree From Norwzccl Vcctues for the Mon.tl.-TIie pres~urc has generally averaged from
0.03 to 0.08 inch above the normal, except in the Gulf nucl South At,lantic States, where it haa averaged from 0.02 to 0.05 inch below tlie niean for many years. The greatest departnres are ohserved on the Pacific coast, being a,t Olympia, 0.16 inch above. At San Francisco and Sa,n
Diego the preswnre ranged from 0.0: to 0.04 inch ,I b oTe.
Baroi~etririb Ba?ujee.-The barometric range during the month increases with the la,titude on the Atlantic coast from 0.45 inch at Key West to 1.49 inch at New York. From New York north- w d the range cleweases to 1.01 at Portland, aud 1.04 et E;tstpoi.t. Following the MissiRsippi
.
and t,eiuper R .t ,we.
.7:. ; .; 8 -(
Mg!) U 7m
sat 2
. .I
e
. No. IV-followed t h e storm traced ns No. VILon chart No. I antl moved rapidly from Britiab
Columbia to the Easteru Rocky Mountamin slope during the 13th. Unusually colt1 weather pre-
vailed in Manitoba and L)wkot,a. on the morning of the lYtmh, wlien Forts Gnrry ;tud Unfiwtl reported minima of -4 0 O . The centre passed t.0 the south of Nebraska cliiring the night of the I&h, causing
a severe 4 norther  on the Tesas noa.st, t.lie wiutl reachiiig a velocity of 18 miles from ti e South- west and 44 miles fkom the north at Intlianole, when 21. Cautionary Off-shore Signal w :~ displaxed. Had the high southerly winds been mi ticipa,ted t,lie nsnal Ca,utiona.rx Sigiials would hwe been ordered in this case. Not on~y IVBH warniiig give to the coast st:btions of the it(J1)rOiWIl of this and other severe
sbrms, but the citizens throngliont Tems 1ocii.ted tin the niilitarj telegraph line under tlie supervis- ion of tin officer of this Seivice receivetl speci;il wiirnings of the a-1)l)roiich, of northers, and t.hese .
warnings have proved va,lnable during t.lie nionth, espr,ci:illy to the stock iiiterests of the State. Heayy frosts were reported in the Sout.li\vc..st ~i t l tenq)erat.nre fill t,o ?!lo st Intlianola on tlie 14th. The a u t r e of this area mo~-etl enst, to the C!entrsl 3Iississipl)i vdley, where its course clinnged to the northe;wt, and clnring t,lie isueceetling 24 1iom.s it. 1)assetl to the northeast over the St. Lawrence vdley attenc1ed by freezing weat,lier 011 t,he At,lautic const as fitr sonc.1~ a.3 Athut:c, Ga., and Wil-
ming.ton, N . C.
No. V.-This mea ;i.pp:went.ly tleveloped sont,li of the Upper Missouri va,lley nnil east of the
Rocky Mouiici.iiis ou the 15th iuid l(it.h, whiltt. heery rains prevailed on t,he Pacific coast. .It ad- vanced slowly over the Nortliwest,, and I)y midnight on the 16th was central near Ymikton, where the barometer reitd 30.57 untl the teniper:Ltnre was -Eo. Light siiow ii,iirl cold northerly winds
preceded this area its it ndvaiicetl over the Lala region on tho 1 ith, with increensiiig pressure at the centre. On t.he inoruiiig of the 18th the isobar of 30.70 inclntled 4110 BIitlclle States, Lower
Lake region n,nd a l)ort,ion of New England, ;ind ne:w the centre of the greatest pressure the tern- peratlire ma8 below zero. The pressnre c.oiit,inned high on tlie Atlant.ic coast ilnriiig the 19th as
the area disa,ppeniwl to the northeast. Ihring t.lie transit8 of this areit over the northern districts
of the Uliitetl 8ta.tes the bwroniet.ric? ch;tii#es, ;klthough deckled, c)collrretl grarlually, attellded by
generally h i r \veilther.
No. VI.-$he pressure intrreascttl rampidly i n the region west of t.lie Mis.;sissippi aft.er the severe Nt,orm of the BGth iintl dlst. The rqwwts (if t.lie 221itl sliowe~l ill1 area of high pressure extentling
h m Manitoba to t,he Pa,cific coast., within which the pressure ~airgetl froin four to six tenths above the nornial for the mont,li. The biirometer rose gradudly over the clist.ricts east of t,lie Mississippi
on the 2.Lt.h ant1 2jtli, the ceiit.rtl of greatest pressure passing to the lower I\liswi.rsippi valley with freezing weather throughout the Sontl,erii &;iten. The pressure oout,inuetl t.0 iucrease in the South-
ern dist,rict.s on the 35th mid tliiriiig the 2fit.h t.lie nre;t \viis iiiclntletl within the liinit.s of No. VII, which was more uini.lied and ceiit,r:i.l in the Northwest..
No. VI[.-This \vas the iuont iristrketl are:& of high prwsnre of tlie month ; i L t iiiitliiight of t,he 25th it was ccntr:tl in Wyoniing Territory ilud tluriug tkc 26th the 1Jrcssiire ranged from 0.30 to
0.50 ambore the nornial over tlie e:tsterii slnlie c-)f the Eocky Moiintainq. A light  norther, with- out rain, occnrretl in Tesits, but t,lie tgnipera.t.iire dit1 not th11 ~lecitletlly in the Sonthwest. On the
morning of t.he BYth, t.he iso1xi.r of 30.5fI inclosed t,he Konthern States aid the Lake region, while the ceutvral pressiwe of 30.70 extended ovex t be Ohio v;~,lIt?.y :nid Tenne.+see. The pre.ssiu-e decreased
gradually duriiig t.he 29th, an this arm t l i ~t ~p l ~e i i .~d to the e:ast iminr,di:i.tely i r i ii,d\~~~~ice of the &om traced RS No. VI11 on tlie ist~t~r~ll-chii~t~,
No. VIII-estended over British America nc)rt,li of t,he Lake regiou on the slst, a,tteudeil by very cold wea.ther from the St. La.wrei1c.e v:illey \vestw;i.rrl to the Saskatcllewan region, where the temperature w a y -30O a.t the 11 p. in. report of the 30th. This \\-as probnblg tlie most esteuded
area of high pressure of the nionth, bnt its it,s centre passed to t,he Atlantic iiort,lieast of fhe United
States only the uort.he,wt.ern district,s esperienced tlie severe cold acmiiipa.nying it.
Areas of how Baronteler.--Nine i1,refis of low balu>lneter appeared within the lilllitn of the
stations of t h e Signal Service, dnring t,lie niont,Ii, t,hree of which (Nos. I, 111 and V) originated
sout,h of t.he 30th parallel of latitude. Three probfiljly originated in t,he 1iort.h Pa.c.ific and t,hree
(Nos. 11, IV and IS) were first observed 011 the ei1,derll slope of the Rocks Mountains. No. IX was preceded by violent stoimis and heavy railis on t,he P,tc:ific coast, aad reports froin inonnbain
Rhtiims indicate that, 8 slight, depression crossed the 1Cot:kg Mountains ~outh of Sdt Lake on the 30th.
No. I.-This storm was cent,ral in tlie Itastern Gulf mar Punta, Ressa on t,lie inorning of the let,, where it apparently developed tliiriug tlie preceding night. The centre of dist,iirbance, although
alight,, iwna,inetl near tlie nest coast. of Fliiritla. imtil t,he p. m. report of t.he 1st antl by midnight it had passed to the South Atlnnt5ic in R nort.lie.& direction atltended by severe northeasterly gdes
on the North (hrolina coast. Tlic t,emperntiire wiis below freeziiig generally at stations in the .
Gulf and South Atlantic St.ates on the 1st a,nd light, snow occiirrcd at Pensacoltt, Flat. and Mobile,
Ala., niid wry heavy rains prevailed in Floritln behre the centre of dist,nrbnnce psssed t.0 the At- lantic. Cautionaiy Sigiids were displa,retl at, st,ationw 011 t,lie coast froni Pensamla to Sandy Hook,
and were geuerally verified at stations north of Wilniing.ton. The high wind ilt HatteriLS itnd tlie
genera,] conrse of the storm indicate that. dfiiigeriiiis winds premiletl off t,lie Sonbli Atlairt,ir: coast
4
4
6
fo the east attended by violent NE. and ESE. gales on the Middle and Snuth Atlantic, coasts. The
p l i e n t increased rapitlly in the nortliemt quat11 eiit 011 the Slst, 8s the lowest pressure pa,sserl
ob-er the Middle States and along tlie New 15nglantl cowt, cansing heavy snow from the North- e& ma.st westwiirtl over the Lake region, a.1~1 rain climging to snow a.nd sleet froni soritliern New England southwextwarcl to Tesas. Cantionary S i g ~~i i ~l ~ were c1isl)layecl in :td\.ihtlce of this
storm at t h e stetious on the Atlantic coast a i d sncc*et?tliiig reports slrow it to have been the most wvere storm of the month. The wind reiw.11etl ii velocity of 40 niileq per hoiir at. New York Cit,y
and iiliicli clama.ge to property \vas reported i i i tlint vicinit,y, especiiilly to the telegraph lilies wliich were clainagetl to such RU extent m tc) iiiterriipt coiiiinmiiciitioiis witli other cities. Tlie tri-clirily
telepTsphic reports of this ofiive were iiiissiiig frnrn the liortlierri districts, ant1 for several (1a.y~
were gent from New York by rail to t.lie first telegrapli statim sout,Ii iii c~oriiiiiiiriicti~~ii wif 11 \VasIiing- ton. The J3ost.011 observer re1)ort.w il \-elwit,\- of 44 ini1c.s NE., wind vinleiit from 1 :30 1. 111. to fol-
lowing morniug iind ;t mltlen gust of (io ~iiilc~--c:~~~~i~iri~nic~;it.io~r of id1 kiiitls obst.mrtsd, the ~reritext drtnia,ge occurring to telegr:tpli lines, snotv-fiill from 12 to 14 incllen, losses estinra.~st~ ab $100,01JO.
New York Cit;\- rel)ortx t,liis as the most violent stnriii of t,lie seil~oi~. At Aslibiury, N. J., tho
(6 Mainiiiotli Hotel in coiirse of const.riiot.ioii, ~lr~iiolisliotl by pile wl\ic.li reacliatl a velwity of 80
milex cliiring the afternoon. Tlie 1 1 1 i i ~i ~i i ~~~n velo- city at. Ihst.portt \viis 40 niiles KE.; at Pnrtliiiitl. 35 NK.; \Ynods Holl, $2 E.; Siititly Ilook, 45
NE.; Del. I:reakwater, B9 N.; Kittglinwk, -I!) SW.: l i :~t ,t ~i i ~, 40 S\V. The centre of lowest
preasnre ptssecl to the east south of Haliths, after leitririg t,lic? Sew Etigliiiid confit.
No. VIII.-!I!his depression psssetl east froin the Pacific ewer W~islii~igtori Territory on the
28th, causing 1ie:iry raiiis ant1 t1:im:igiiig tloocls iii that regioii. The rains esteiided over Ualitiirnia
on the night of t.he 28th rind coiitirriietl tlnririg the reni:i,iiitler of t,lie motit.li w tlie severest storm in that ivgion for mmiy yea,rs. The iiiiosii;il raiii-fihll :i.iitl tl;imiage resiilt,iiig frnm tlocitls oniisetl by this fitorin are notivrtl under t,lre 1)iv)per lie:i(liiig. The r:iins cwntiiiiithtl o i l the mitic coast after the centre of tlepression 1i:iil 1)itssed to the east of t.lie Rocky 3loiint.itins, 1ie:ir the uort.liern boiiiida.ry
of Itlitho. The area pawed over tlie 1\.1issoiiri v;ille,v anrl tlie Lake regioii tliiriiig t,lie z!jtl~ s 1 i c 1 &th with the liigli aver;ige velocily of 4i miles ~~e r lioiir, but the ~)ressiire at, the cent,re iiicreasetl as it approachrrl the Atlantic, a,iitl it disappeared its :I cyelouic tlisturbance before reitdlhg the Kew
No. 1X.-This storm is iiiidied on the. clrnrt RS first central in northern Tesas at miclniglit of t h e 3Gtli, but it is prnblible tlint it! passed fro111 the Pacitic cwimt or t.liitt its tlevelolmeiit \viis clue to t.he hewy raiii in thilt regioii on the previous k t y . Tlie (!oiirse of tlie verit.re after its first appearance was to tlie 1iortlie;tst iintil tlie centre reaohotl tlre Ohio \-iilley tis it well tletiiied storm, accompanied by l-ei-3 Iiewy ra,in uear t,lie central area, wliich, :it t.liiit tiiiie, was niitrl<etl b ~- G
sniall elliptical isobar of 39.S0, ceiit,ral 11eitr Louisville at t,lie 11 11. ni. JX?llOrt of tlie %Ist. Tlie siic- ceecliiig reports show Chat t,lw tlirectioii of the areit cliiiiijied sliglitlg oil the followiiig cl;iy, iind
that i t pmsetl off the Soiitll Atlantic coilncit, C ~I U S ~I I ~ dangeroiin wiirtls its tltr north ;LS Boston. Uiu-
tioiiary Sigia.18 were ordered in advance of this storni ;It statio~rs iiortli of Pt. Mac~ii, N. U. The maxiinlint velocities relwrtecl were as fnllo\vx : M;icoti, 32 N. ; Hiittera,s, 40 S. ; liittjliawk, 59
N. ; Cepe Henry, 43 NW. ; Del. Ureitkwitter, 43 N\V. ; Cape -1z:ty, 56 NW. ; Wo~ds Holl, 28 NW.; Hhorehatu, 36 NE.; Bwuegat., 4% W.
M:mg losses oc.ciirr.etl o i i t.lie Xew Jersey co:&
Ellgleucl c0:ist.
I N T E R N AT I O N A I, bl I$ T E 0 R 0 L 0 G Y.
Three Internatioual CliiirtR a.ccoin;~a~ny the proselit 1tEVrEW. No. IV is thr the month of ne- c e d e r , 1XS0. 111 lieu or cliarts Nos. V a,nd V I tiw the motit11 of Nuy, lSi3, ~vliiclr wonltl have ep- pemd with this iwile if the regidw order of pi1,lic;ition lratl beeti iitllieretl to, cliarts KO. V fir the months of J n n u r ~y ant1 Febrtrnry, lSi, are Imseiittvl. The tlt.lii,y in the piiLlieetioii of the Nay, l8i9, niiiiiber of the  Moantliclie 1.Tt.lwrsiclit der Wit.teruiip of the  l)eiitsclie Seewitrte, is the rewon for thin chi1,itge, tllat 1)ublic;i.t.ion contiiiiiiag ni~cli vdnable tbta which, Iwevions to the mouth .of April, 1853, \vas IiiiI.tle use A in a~ii~~~iitirrg the I I I I ~~I I I pisssiire ;iiid wiiitl-tlirection
Over the Atlantic ocean. I t is tliereforl! tleeinetl atilvix;ilh (while \ntiting for the itbow) to ell- deavor to complete, as well :w possible, tlic! series of cliitrta KO, V tbr the year lHii, by tliepiib- licatior of those for the eight mont,lis from Jii1iti:iry to Angiist, inc*lu.;ive. In there charts, the ba- rometrics ~WWSUN over Iiiclie froin Jaiiuiirj to Nay, iiicliisive, will be iiitlicauted by isohm, iii broken liuea, copied from the 6 ljeliort on the I\feteoir)logy of Ilidiii. in l H i i , piiblislietl by the goyern-
ment of tliat couutrj, the siuiultaiieourr observations iiot coninieucing until June, 1857.
Chart Xo. IV, for the month of Decej)/ber, ISSO, indit.ate* as well as^ is at preseat (Febn1a.ry Mth, 1Wl) possible the general cniirse bitkeii 1)g t.lit? i n 0 4 piwmineirt storinq over North Atlsbiitic during that mouth. KOH. I, 111, 1V a i d V :we co~itiniistions of low aivas Nos. 11, VII, SI H I I C ~
XV, respect.i\-ely, of chart No. I for 1)evenher. KO. 11 aplenrn to ha.ve tlevrlopetl t111ring the lobh
a i d on the moining of the 11th warns (~itt.iI1 between the 13e1*11ii1tl;bs and hew1i)uiitlIii~Iitl. Tliese and other storms of lesR iiuportanc.e will be n o t i w l in tlettail oil the alqiearaiice of chart No. VI for this month. The weather oyer the At.l:int.ic dariug this period ma9 be characterized very