JANUARY, 1913. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 159
Frewo, Cal.: No unuwal phenomenon of this charact.er was observed until after November 10, 1912. On this date a very good general rain
occurred and cleared the atmosphere of the dust. which gives i t a very hazy a pearance during the dry season. Duriiig tlie remainder of
Novernger a number of very beautiful su1iset.s were observed. which differed from the usual phenonienon in that t.he brilliant. c:oloriiigs were more widely and more evenly diffused than is conmion. Approxi-
mately 120 of the western horizon was colored, the hues reaching well
t,oward t,he zenith aiid continuing with a brilliaiice more or less notice- able for fully an hour after sunset. The dur:tt.ion was :tu especinl
feature of the phenomenon. The reds were most conspicuous. but
other colors in that portion of the spectrum. t.he yellows aiid oranges,
which Santa "Y e , N. Mex., December 29, 1912: The sunset glow this evening was especially brilliant. By 5.10 p. m. tlie entire western sky was rosy
from llOo north to 90' sout,h of t,he sunset. pnint. and upward fully
6 5 O . By 5.20 p. m. the colors had become brilliant red about t,he sunset point, shading off to a beautiful rosy red in t,lie distance. By 5.30
p. m. the lower COlOrS had become dark red and yery I)rilliniit,. There-
after the colors faded rapidly, and the last glow wns seen at 6.10 p. ni.
I n the following lett,er, wluch is a reply to circular letter of December 2S, 1912, abteiition is c.alled t,o the
well-known fact that brilliant t,milight c.olors tire only
observed under favorable niet,eorological c,oiiclitioiis :
During the summer of 1911 I epeiit, from June 12 until September 1
in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Almost the entire summer there were brilliant pink sunsets that were very similar to those in tlie au-
tumn of 1883. Previous experience in that region shows that brilliant
afterglow sunsets may be expected in summer. In 1912, from June 5 until September 7, I saw no aft,erglow t,hat was
brilliant, and only a few that were slightly reddish. The weather was
unusually damp for the region all sunimer. It would appear that the amount of moisture must. have had some
relation to the absence of t.he afterglow of t,he sunsets in 1913 in t,he above region.-Prof. C. C. TROWBRIDGE, Department. of Physics, Columbia University, New York City.
There seems to be good evidence that unusually biil-
liant red sunsets were observed in the Unit,ed States dur-
ing the f d of 1912, ancl espec.ially in November, a.nd in bhe
drier sections of the counttry, where condit,ions we,re especially favorable for such observations. It does not
ap ear that the twilight colors have been markedly d&erent from t,Iiose of ot.lier years except for an increase
in int,ensity, and in some cases an iiic.rease in duration.
While the purple or rose-colored glow t,liat hns been observed to overspre.ad the sky a short, time aft,er sunset
or previous to sunrise lias been a proillinent featsure of
the displays, it lias not been comparable wit.li t,lie tift,er- glows observed in 1SS3.,.
Atmospheric turbidity in. Europe i.n i9l$?.-The reader is referred to the scientific journals2 for details of the many observations that indicate decreased atmospheric
trans arenc in Europe during t'he latter part of 1912.
Near$ all tze writers fix the date of the first appearance
of the haze between June 20 ancl 27; Dr. L. Steiner,
however, finds evidence of uiiusually hazy conditions as
early as May, 1912, which were intermittent, in character
and appeared to be connecked with antic.yclonic weather
conditions. The intensity of the haze appeared to increase with each recurrence, until a maximum was attained in
Jul . & his reply to circular letter of December 28, 1913,
Dr. Adolf Hn atek, of the Vienna Astronomical Observa tory, places the first appearance of the haze previous to June
eared first in order, were not much less so.
12. He states t,hat since two photographic-photometric
exposures on the constellation Coma Berenices, one on June
12, of SO minutes, ancl the other on June 19, of 90 minutes,
failed to show stnrs revealed by an exposure of an hour on June 3, the disturbance in the atmosphere may have
had its commencement between June 6 and 12. He estimated the decrease in atmospheric transmissibility a t
from 10 to 15 per cent.
Observations from high Alpine peaks and from bal- loons indicate that the haze was confined to great
heights. It seems to have diminished greatly by Noveni-
ber, 1912, although some observers saw evidence of it a t
the end of the year. Su.~n:m.a~y.-The eruption of Katmai Volcano, on June
6, 1912, was followed bv a fall of volcanic ash over all of
southeastern Alaska a6d southward into the State of
Washing ton. A hazy or smoky condition of the atmosphere that was first observed in the United States from June 8 to 10,
but a parently did not reach its maximum intensity
until Y une 20 to 25, was also observed in Europe and in northern Africa. I n Euro e it was not generally
that it may have been present previous to June 12. I n Algeria, northern Africa, there is evidence that it was
present as earl as June 19.
ical photography, together with pyrheliometric meas-
urements and records from sunshine recorders, indicate that the haze caused a marked decrease in atmospheric
transparency. Twdight colors in the United States durin the fall of
greater duration. The red shades were especially
pronounced. At the end of 1912 the haziness appeared to be de-
creasing.
observed until after June 20, a 7 t,hough there is evidence
Astronomica s observations, and especially astronom-
1912 were more brilliant than usual and per a aps also of
MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL MEASUREMENTS.
By BENJAMIN C. RADEL. Local Forecaster. Weather Bureau.
As the irrigation systems of the country increase, the need of more accurate measurements of the water supply from the mountain snow fields becomes greater. An
experience of two years' actual work in the snow fields of
a portion of the Rio Grande National Forest in Mineral
County, Colo., a t elevations exceeding 9,000 feet, has demonstrated that the problem is not so complicated
as it may appear t o the casual visitor to the mountains. The apparent confusion in the distribution of the snow
layer, here the bare hillside, there the dee even layer
of the forest, and beyond the great timber [ne drifts, is, upon closer RC uaintance, found to be the result of
the slope, on which the snow Les, makes with the sun. I n
the high regions of the mountains the sun shines for a
greater number of hours during the winter than a t lower elevatioiis because the sky is less frequently obscured by
cloud, and the sun's rays are also stronger, because they
natural causes, 7 t le most im lortant of which is the anole
1 The eruption of Krakatoa and subsequent phenotuena. Report of the Krakotoa
Wolf, bf. Triibung der Atmosphiire uud Diimnieruugsersclieinllligen. Net. Zeit.,
Bhseh, %r. Eihe neue optische Storung in der .4tmosphLire. Met.. Zeit., Aug., 1912,
Mat& J . A4tmosph&rische Triibun Hildebr&Lwon, H. H. Atmospharisc%e Triibuug in &weden. Met. Zeit., Sept..,
Stentrel, A . Die neue Diimmerungsstorung. Met. Zeit.. Ort., 1912. Bd. 211, p. 485.
Hahn. F. Die atmcspharische Storungim Sommer 1913. Met. Zeit., Oct., 1912, Bd.
ergand, Albert. Die anomale Triibung der Atmosphiire. Met. Zeit., Nov., 1912, Bd. !29, p. 532.
commit.tee of the Royal Soriet.y, p. 340. and frontispiece.
July 1912 Bd. 29 p. 339.
Bd. 29 p. 385.
1912, Bd. 29, p. 442.
Yet Zeit.. 191'' Bd. 29, p. 385, %fi.
"9#. pse.
Marten, W. SchwLhung ron Sonuenstrahung und Sonnenscheindauer dmcli eine
lin8chizilz. Ion. Paul. Triihuuedes Hirnrnels in Siidt.;rol. Met. Zeit.. Nov.. 1912. Bd. atmosplLirische Triihuug iru Sommer 1912. Met. &it. Nov.. 191% Bd. 29. p. 533.
I _ ,,
29, p. 534. de Qnmuoin. Dr. -4. Nerkwiirdiger Hirnmplsanhlick im Inneren Groulands im Som- mer 1912. Met. Zeit.. Der. 1912. Bd. "9 W. Hdlmaiia. 0. Diebrsache der uug&&lirhen Triibung der Atmosphtire im Sommer 1912. Met. Zeit.. Jan., 1913, Bd. 30, 34. Sfrincr, l i r . L. Zur atmosphkirisckm Triibung im Sommer 1913. Yet. Zeit., Jan., 1913 Bd. 30 p. 30. S/hio, W.'N. Peculiar appearance of the sky during the summer, 1912. Qr. J. R. Met. 6oc. Oct.. 1912 v. 38, p. 312. JeRpen 'Dr. Chr. 'Uber die grosse atmospharisch-optishe Storung von 1912. Re- print from Mitteil. d. Vereinig. v. Freunden d. Astron. u. kosm. Physik, Berlin.
160 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. JANUARY, 1913
shine through a rarer atmosphere. Actual measurements show that on south slopes the main body of tlie snow
generally melts within a few days after it falls, even
though thermometers exposed a few feet above the ground show temperatures well below the freezing point.
Prom the fact that the main body of the snow that falls on south slopes disa ears time and again during tlie
streams continue a t low stag!, it seems ressonable to conclude that the greater portion of the snow that falls
on these slopes is evaporated, and hence is of little im-
portance in maintaining the summer water supply. It is therefore useless to >lace any measuring devices on
conditions that will have little or no relation t o the spring water supply. I n sbrikiiig coiitmst, snow lying on north
slo es shows little or no melting until the advent of the
slope snow first melts int,o it.self, without imporbant loss
of water value. Another iniport'aiit fact is that snow does not drift on timbered north slopes, a i d there is but little
loss by evaporation on these slopes. Actual measure- ments have shown that the water value of the snow on
the ground on north slo ies in t,he spring may be as much
in gages so located that they are iractically shielded
winter available for measurement a t any time before t,he
spring thaw, such apparatus as gages, bins, aiid other devices for catching the snow as it falls are not only use-
less but misleading, first because of their well known failure to make a correct catch, and second because they
hold their contained snow up t o the actmion of sun aiid wind, thus accelerating the evaporation of their coiit,ents.
Since it has been demonst'rat,ed that the entire accumu- lat,ion of the winter's snowfall may frequently remain on
the north slopes, then it follows that we have in these
slopes the key to the problem. At the same t8inie t,he
snow lying on east and west slopes, which niay enter
the earlier spring flood, and also tlie qua,iit,it,y of snow a.bove tiniber line must bear a close relation t,o that on
the north slopes from year t o year. When the area under study is linllted in extent, it is possible to make u good
working estimate of the total water value of the snow on the entire area by measuring each representative slope
separately, and then combining the results by weighting
each measurement according to the area it represents.
It is obviously erroneous to use an average of a number
of measurements for any iurpose, unless all were made
orientation. $0 make a detailed snow survey of large areas generally involves a better knowledge of the con-
tour of the field than ordinary maps aft'orcl, and it is
probably better to confine tlie work to tlie north slopes, and to base estimates of water supply on a comparison
of t,he year under consideration wit,h previous years.
The best place for making measurezueiit~s is on a north slope of about 20" in an open space in a sta.iid of timber.
A slight variation from north will have but little effect, though a northeasterly slope is better than a northwest)-
erly one, but in enera1 the slope should be as near to true
hardwood, such as aspen, whose trunks are dose enough
to prevent drifts, and whose crowns are insignificant,,
while nearness to large coniferous trees should be avoided.
Surroundings should also be considered, since open parks
of great extent may be responsible for large accret,ions of
Such locations
snow' are to g e avoided.
course of a winter, w Pi 11 e a t the same time the mountain
south slopes, because suc \ i measurements are of temporary
hig 1 er temperatures of April, and even then the north
as 20 per cent greater t il an the total c,atch of the winter
gages. Since we have the accuniu f ated snows of the
on slopes of ractically t h e same degree of angle and
north as possib B e. The ideal t,iniber location is in sniall
articularly near the timber line.
In order to measure the water value of a given snow layer it is required to know both the depth and the density
of tlie layer. The accepted method of measuring the depth is by means of snow scales, permanently fixed,
from which the depth niay be read a t any time. The scale should be as small in cross section as practicable, so
as to reduce reflected heat and consequent melting of t,he
snow imiiiediahely about it,, and a t the same time i t must
be large enough for graduations that may be read a t some
distance, say 25 feet or more. It has been found satis-
factory in practice to use a vertical staff, 19 inches square
and 10 feet long, secured in a vertical osition. The staff
painted on with a quick-drying black paint, the foot
iiuiiibers on one face, and the tenths of feet on the adja- cent face, the tenths being made recognizable by wide
triangles a t the foot marks, narrow triangles a t the half- foot, and triangles t,hat reach on1 half across the staff a t
the intermediate tent'hs. A sca e so raduated may be
increased legibility gained by graduating t,he scale in feet aiid tenths inore than repays the work involved in trans-
lat,iiig the readings in to inches, since it permits the
observer t o make the readings without disturbing the snow near t>he scale, and also allows scales to be located
a t points inaccessible on snowshoes, but within reading distance of some accessible point. The scale may be set
up by first nailing the zero end of the staff into a halved-
out block of wood, t,hen setting tlie whole into the ground to bring the zero to the round surface, then securing by
The density of t,he snow layer has been measured by means of tubes of small bore, with the lower rim f3ed into
saw teet,li, which in acbua.1 pracbice are either thrust down through the snow layer bo the ground, or in some cases
rotated as t,lie!p desc,end. The tube is then withdrawn
and the snow found in i t is Considered a representative
sample of t,lie layer. In acbual ract,ice it is frequently
it is Iossible t.o cut, out, a correct sample; tlie snow core
is moist, enough t.o resist, dropping out of t,he tube will also
resist, e,nt,ering the t,ube : t,lierefore a correct sample can not. R I W R ~S be obtained. The u ,per layers of snow are
inches below t,lie surface downward to the ground it is dry
and granular. The t,op layer fre uent,ly forms into a
lower layers aside as the tube proceeds downwar . This
actmion may easily be determined by comparing the height
of t,he snow inside the bube with the height outside. In nn.rrow-bore t,ubes it will be found that the snow is much
lower in tbe t,ube than the surrounding layer, while if a
section be bounded by a larger tube, say a 6-inch stove- pipe, t,lie snow wibhin the tube will remain almost as high
as outside. The decicleci advrtnt,age thus gained has led
t,o the use of tubes 5.94 inche.3 in diameter, so chosen to
make 1 pound of snow equal to 1 inch of water in the tube for convenience in nialung t,he computations. Such tubes can be macle at any t>in shop. The seam should be
drawn and rivebed with small rivet,s. Sixteen-gauge
iron is necessary to give t,he st,rengt,h required for the dense
upper layers in lat,e spring. The tube may be made in secbions, and joined by a notched collar, so 8.9 t o be avail-
able for various dept,lis. After the tube has beeninserted
t,hrough the snow la er,, an auger, whose diameter is a lit-
prisoiied snow, a cross pin 8 inches long through a hole in the handle a t the upper rim of the tube serving to prevent
is first painted white, tt.fter which t K e graduations are
read a t 200 feet wit,h tlie aid of 5 a snia 1 field glass. The
guy wires t o stakes or ot 9 ier rigid supports.
found t,liat when, under est,reme 7 y dry, cold c,onditions,
will c 1 roll froin t>he tube as it, is wit,hdrawn, while snow that
tough and matted together, wlli i e from a point several
conical stopper t,liat effectively pus  ies the dry, ranular
8
t.le less than the tu < e, is screwed down through the im-'
JANUARY, 19 13. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 161
the auger from boring into the ground, and also sup lort-
withdrawn. The auger may be macle by attaching ti cir-
cular piece of 16-gauge irou to a wood handle with corner braces, then cutting on the diam r from opposite sides
to the handle, tind h i d y bending the edges of tlie cut to the desired shape. The snow sample may then be
emptied into a light-weight receptacle-a 5-gallon oil can
serves well-and weighed. Spring balnnces sold under the trade name Dairy Scales, which are graduated in
pounds md tenths on a ctial, antl have a capacity of 23
pounds, are suitable for tlus purpose and may be pur-
chased almost anywhere. When the matted upper layer of snow is of consiclerable depth, as occurs under the bright sunshine of March and April, it is necessary to
take out a few inches at a time, and reinsert the tube in the same hole until the granular layer is reached. The
tough upper-layer snow will stick in the tube so tlint it may be removed without tlie su ,port of the auqer. If not
The observer will learn by prttctice how best to meet this
condition, although to pass froni the tough upper layer to the dry granular snow remains the weak point in the
problem of bounding a section of the snow layer. The net weight of the saiiiple in pounds gives the water
equivalent in inches, but since (lensity measurements must be made at right angles to the ground to prevent the
escape of snow through the lower end of tlie tube when the auger is screwed down, it is best to compute
the density from the weight and depth, and apply tlie factor thus determined to the vertical scale readings.
Since the measurements used in surveys are liorisontd,
it, is best to use the vertical values. For example, if the
depth at right angles to tlie grountl is 3 inches, and the weight of the sample in the 5.9-&inch tut)e is 5.2 pouncls,
then the density is 5.3+26=30 per cent; mil if the T-erti-
cal depth as read froni the snow scale is 30 inches, then
tlie water ec~uivalerit of the snow layer is 20 per cent of
30 inches, or 6 inches. This value, multi lied by the twett
of the slope as scaled froni a map, wi 8 give the cuhic
water content of the slope.
The density nieasurements should be made a t some
distance froni the scale so that conditiolis at that point may not be disturbetl. It is well to select the place for
the density measurements before the first snow, clear the A rag
f astened to the wire with a clothes in serves to mark the place a t which the snow has been &sturbed. so that sub-
sequent measurements may be made at a different place
even though a new snow may have fallen. The methods and apparatus here described are the
result of actual experience with snow up to 5 feet depth.
The a pliances can be readily secured almost an where,
fined, yet in the region where they hare been used they furnish a reliahle working basis for both coni mr:i tive
tube unfortunately renders it difficult to carry about, but
the cost is small enough to perinit nn equipment a t ench
measuring station. In the liands of expert toolmttkrrs,
the appliances could no doubt be greatly refined.
ing the weight of the contained snow when the t u il e is
taken out a little at a time i t wi h clog even the large tube.
round, and stretch a wire across for a marker.
and w R de the values found by their use itre far ? roni re-
and quantitative Iiieasurenieiits. The weight of t I ie large
INTERESTING SOLAR HALO.
By FREDERICK SLOCUM, Assietant at the Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Mis.
Between noon and 1 p. m. (central standard time) May
19, 1910, solar halos were observed and also streaks and patches of brilliant colors, some resembling fragments of
81759-13-11
a rainbow and others isolatecl patc.heq of wpprosiniately
monochromatic colors, rose, pink, green, blue, ebc., while
some showed iridescent or iris efkcts. These appeared
in the south a t an alt,itude of 15O to SOo. At the time, great masses of cumulus clouds were
slowly drifting from the west. Back of the cuiiiulus were brush-like formations of cirrus. The colors were some-
times projected 011 the cirrus, and sometimes on what
was apparently clew sky. A photo raph taken a t 12
directly sout8h from the roof of the observator with a
plate, shows the cloud formation, also a horizontal streak
where a strip of rainbow colors occurred, arid also a bril- liant patch of iridescent or iris cloud. The above phe-
nomenon was observed by eight others of the observa-
tory staff and the writer (i. e., Messrs. Frost,, Burnham, Barnard, Parkhurst, Barret)t, Lee, Mitchell, and Slocum),
no one of whom had before seen similar effec-ts.
Nom-Those were the days when Halleys comet was being anxiously espected to pass near the earth, and the
sky was being carefully scrutinized owing to the possi-
bility that, sonic unusual terrestrial phenomenon nii ht
believed that nothing unusual occurred in the atmos- phere of tlie e:wt,li, and wv must therefore (-(inqider the
mtches and streaks of brilliant colors seen at Williams
$By t80 be fragments of cmlinary solar halos due to the
irhsence of ice crvstals or snow in the cirrus fc rniations tack of and hi, dier thnn the cumulus clouds. A com-
lete description of :ill forms of 1i:tlos is given in the
Reteorologische Optike of Prriiter and Exncr, published at Vienna during the years 1905-1910, in nieniory of the
first 50 years of actiritp of the I<. K. Central Institute for Meteorology antl Terrest,rinl Magnetism. The colored
patches obserrecl by Rlr. Slocum seem to correspond
closely with the location of the circular halo of about 22
radius that surrounds the sun, itnd is clue to the presence of sniall prismatic cryshls of ice. On page 312, Pernter
says the parhelion of 22 distance from the sun is ex- plained by the direct passage of solar rttys though ver-
tical ice prisms whose refracting angle is 60, and whose
refracting edges are perpendicular to the observers hori- zon as they float in the atmosphere. On page 320,
Pernter says the parhelion, therefore, differs from the halo of 20 in the fact that tlie latter being a closed ring
around the sun is due to such prisms of ice as have every possible orientation . . . The measurements of the dis-
tance of the ring from the sun confirnis this conclusion to tlie minutest details.
hours pnd 10 minutes, centnil stanc 7 ard time, looking
4 x 5 camera, a color filter and an isoc K roinatic
occur. As n result of this careful scrutiny i t is genera s ly
METEOROLOGY IN THE FAR EAST.
(Extiact from the Scientific American of February 15, 1913.)
At, tlir suggrst,ion of Prof. Nakaaiurit, in charge of the
metrorological service of Japan, there will soon be held R
niceting of the rlircc tors of nieteorolngic.:il observatories in the Fitr East, the first nssembly of its kind. Practical
meteorology has initcle great. progress in that part of the world in recent %-ears. Notable steps have been tlie exten-
sion of the P1iilipl)iIie Weather Bureau to outlping islands
favorably situated for keeping track nf tkyphoons; the organization of a complet,e meteorological service in Indo-
China: tlic establishment of a telegraphic weat8her service
along the whole China coast, and to a rapidly growing
extent,, in t8he interior of China, under the Zikawel Obser-
vatory, a t Shanghai: the creation by the Germans of a
1oc:tl service for Kiao-chau, with headquartqrs a t Tsing-
tao; and the organization of an excellent service in Korea,