NOVEIKBER, 1915. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 575
~. . : -I D . SECTION VII.-WEATHER AND DATA FOR THE MONTH. -- ~: j , . _I
P. C. DAY, Climatologist and Chief of Division.
(Dated: Washinam, D. C., Jan. 6. I'JlB.)
PRESSURE.
The distribution of the mean atnios heric pressure over
tion of the winds are graphically shown on Chart VII, while the average values for the month at the several stations, with the departures from the normal, are shown in Tables I and 111. The mean pressure for the month as a whole was Below the riornial over most of the country. The only sections showihg ositive de artures were the coastal portion of
Plateau regions, California, and central Washington. The positive departures as a rule were small, the greatest values ap earing in central California. However, the negqtive gpartures were quite marked in the upper Lake region, the upper Mississippi and lower Missouri valleys, and the estreme eastern and the Rocky Mount.ain por- tions of the Canadian Provinces. The month opened with relatively low pressure throu h-
the United States and Canada and t rl e prevailing direc-
the Gul P States, t B e southern Rocky Mountain and
out the northern section of the countr from the Roc a y Mountain region eastward to the At f antic. Elsewhere the pressure was near or slightly above the normal. During the first decade, except for the occasional pnssage of a low area, the pressure was relatively high throughout most sections east of the Rocky Mountains, cscept along the northern border, where it was generally below the normal, as well as to the westward of the Rocky Mountains. During the second and third decades extensive and well-defined low and high pressure areas followed each other across the country at somewhat frequent intervals, and the month closed with relatively high pressure throughout the southeastern districts and in the North Pacific States. Elsewhere it was near the normal, except in the Rocky Mountain region and to the eastward in thc Canadian Provinces, and over the Northern States, where relatively low ressure obtained.
favorable for westerly and northwesterly winds song the coastal portion of the New England and Middle Atlantic States, the Missouri and upper llLississippi Valleys and upper Lake region, northerly and northeasterlv along the coastal ortion of the South Atlantic and East Gulf States,
the Ohio and central Mississi pi Valleys, and western
The distribution o P the highs and lows was enerally
southery P and southwesterly in the lower Lake region,
Gulf States. Elsewhere variab F e winds prevailed.
tho northern border, referred to in t rl e REVIEW for Octo-
TEMPERATURE.
The oastward movement of low- ressure areas along
ber, continued during the early part of November, and unusual warmth, with much bright sunshine, was a marked feature of the weather during the greater part
20037-16---5
of the first decade. The average temperature during the period from the 1st to 8th, inclusive, was above the normal in all parts of the countr the period beiig specially warm in t.he great centrafvalle and South-
west, where the departures from norm$ranged from 10 to 18 dcgrces per day. advanced t6
districts during the next two da s, but this was soon
weather again overs read most ccntral and eastern dis- tricts. I n the far drthwest, however, the weather had steadil grown colder and durin the period from about
most of the western Mountain and Pacific Coast States, the average temperatures for the 5-day period ranging from 5 to 9 degrees below the normal over much of the region. To the eastward of the mountains however, the weather, exce t for short periods, continued warmer than usual, especia f yso over thc Gulf and South Atlantic States, where some unusually high temperatures for November were recorded and the average tern eratures for the
normal. By the morning of the 13th the pressure had become high over the northern Plateau region and the hat zero temperatures of the season were re orted from exposed points in Wyoming and southern J ontana, with flurries of snow in the mountains from central Colorado north- ward. Durin the 14th to 16th the cool area advanced into
peratures and the first killiii frost of the season over
that staple for the senson in racticalry all districts With the passage off the Jouth Atlantic coast i f the above-mentioned cold area, wanner weather followed in most districts and it continued warmer than usual for so
late in November over aU portions of the count save in the Lake re ion and portions of the Ohio and3issis-
the 14t.h to 22d were near or slightly less than normal. During thc last decade of the month pressure was again low over northern districts, and temperatures continued higher than usual over nearly all portions of the country, exce t that near the end of the month a change to cooler weat B er overspread the Plains region and Southwest.. At the close of the month temperatures were again rising in the Middle West, and they were near or above the normal for the season over most other districts. XonthZy uueruges.-As in October, the monthly meam of temperature were above the normal over all parts of the countr save for small areas in the Plateau rc ion
slightly below. Over the central valleys the month, as 8
whole, was decidedly warm, the excess above the normal ranging ver generally from 5 to 7 degrees, or slightly
erally somewhat less, and along the immediate Atlantic
By the 8th an area of high the upper Mississippi Valley an colder weather overspread
followed by falling pressure in t i e West, and w m e r
the 9t% to 13th, inclusive, coo 9 er weather overspread
period ranged from 10 to nearly 15 s egrees above the
the Gul B and South Atlantic States, with freezing tem-
much of the cotton belt, there % y endina further growth of
sippi valleys, IV B ere the average temperatures from about
and near t T l e Pacific coast, where they were norm8 or
more. In t 1 e more eastern districts the excess was gen-
676 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. NOVEMBE~, 1915
coast the monthly averages were, as a rule, only slightly himher than normal.
%ay tmperutures.-With much bright sunshine durin
maximum temperatures were unusually high for the season of the year. From about tlie 4th to 7th tlie day temperatures over much of the central portions of the country were as hi h
This was
exceeded by from 3 to 7 degrees. At Madison, Wis., the maximum on the 7th was 6 degrees higher than had been reported in any previous November during about 60 years of record. A ain, about the Izth, the day temperatures
cially near the south Atlantic and east Gulf coasts. iVig7tt tempemt~ures.4lear weather a t night favored were moder-
the month, the days were correspondingly warmer an d
had previously been recorded in &- eriod of 40 years or more. and portions of surrounding States extremes of previous years were
were unusua If y high over the Southeastern States, espe-
radiation, and the mimimym tem ately low, as compared with tmhe
reached in any portion of the closely approached save in a
the extremes of November for
. temperahreg were reportccl from all districts save along the immediate south Atlantic coast, over the sou tliern portions of the Gulf States, a t the lower elevations of Arizona and California, and along the Pacific coast Temperatures of O O F . were re orted from points in the northern Plains and northern Rocky Mountain regions, and temperatures of loo or lower occurred as f a r south as Colorado and northern Arizona.
PRECIPITATION.
The early part of Xovember, 1915, waa remarkably free from stornis of any character, bright sunshiny weather revailing in most districts till near the end of the fiwt {ecade, when a storm of considerable intensity moved from Colorado to tlie upper Luke region, accompanied by thunderstornls and considerable ram in portions of the Mississippi Valley and Lake region. On the morning of the loth u low area was observed over Colorado, which developed consjderable energy durin the following 24 hours, by which time it had move d rapidly to the western end of Lak? Superior. In its course over the Great Plains region it was attended by high southerly winds, rcacliiw tornctdic force in por- tions of Kansas. At Great Ben$ in that State, several large flouring mills were destroyed, a number of persons were killed, and large property losses resuhed. Over other districts in Kansas, and to the northenstward, high winds, with thunderstorms, prevailed and heavy rains occurred locally. This storm pnssed to the northward of the Great Lakes during the 12th, but during its progress Considerable rain fell on the 11th and 12th from central Texas northeastward to the lower Lakes. During the 14th and 15th a storm of considerable in- tensity moved from the Texas coast northeastward to New England, giving the first general rain of the month over the districts to eastward of tlie Mississippi, the falls being uite heavy in portions of the Gulf States and Ohio +alley. At the same time rain set in over the far
Northwest, and some heavy falls were reported from points in Oregon and Washin ton.
in the Southwest and during the day two storm centers formed and advanced to the northeastward, one over the
On the morning of the lSth 5 ow pressure had developed
Southeastern States and the principal one from the vicinity of Arkansas to the Great Lakes. During the night of the 18th the two storms a pear to have united, and at 8 a. m. of the 19th tlie corn i! ined center was over Lake Michigan as a low pressure of marked force. High winds accompanied the storm in tlie Lake region and along the north Atlantic coast, and precipitation was eneral and heavy in niany districts to eastward of the ississip i, the rain turning to snow in ortions of the er Mfssissippi Valley and the Lake dperior region. 8 n the 25th enerd cloudy conditions had overs read the central valeys, P and during the following 24 goups
rains occurred in the Mississippi VaUey dis t,ricts, with local heavy storms in the southern portion, es e- cially in Arkansas, where in the vicinity of I!ot a tornado of niarked severity occurred, a num- ber o persons bein L i ed and considerable property the 26th this storm lost energy and disappeared to the northward of the Great Lakes, but more or less precipitation occurred over the eastern districts. Only scattered recipitation occurred during the latter part of the niont P 1, escept that a storm of moderate intensit moved from the middle Plains region to the u per lakes near the end, and light rains or snows prevai .p ed in the vicinity of the path. For the month, as a whole, preci itation was, as a rule,
normal, althou h in Tennessee and portions of the ad-
inches, beinm about 2 inches more than the normal, and some local geavy falls occurred along the southeastern coast of the Florida Peninsula. In the Atlantic Coast States less than the normal amounts occurred, the eatest deficiencies appearing in tlie District of Colum- Ea and portions of Maryland and Virginia. In the Plains States, the Rocky Mountain region, and the central and southern ortions of the Plateau dis-
Tesas and portions of NCN Mesico the month \vas rain- less. In the central and southern Pacific coast districts the amounts were generafly less than 2 inches, being some- what less than the usual fall for November, but to the northward they ranged from 4 to 15 inches, and did not differ greatly from the normal, escept in the more northern portions, where less than the average amounts for November occurred. SnmfaZZ.-Snow fell throughout most sections of the country, escept in the South Atlantic and Gulf States and along the Pacific coast. The falls were light over
most districts, escept in the mountain regions of the West, where in some sections rather heavy falls occurred in the higher regions of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
damage sustained. %l- uring l1
moderate and did not differ grea tp y from the November
joining States t % e aniounts for the nionth totaled 6 or 7
tricts the recipitation for t E e month was eiierally light, as is usua P for this season of the year, wfile in western
GENERAL SUMMARY.
Considering all portions of the country and the month,
RS a whole, i t may be safely stated that rarely have the weather conditions for an entire month been so generally favorable for all agriculturnl interests. Over the principal corn-growing States the early art of the month was with-
immature portions of the crop. omth of wheat in a l l districts to eastward of the Rocyy Moun- tains, and, with the exception ofsorne of the later sown, the crop is reported in good condition to entur the winter
out ninterid rninfctll and great Y y favored the drying of the
The generally mild weather favored tlie
NOVEIKEER, 1915. MONTHTAT WEATHER RZVIXW. 577
period. In the far Northwest lack of moisture during the early part of the month prevented plowin and sowing,
tions. As a result, f i l l seeding is still unkished. The continuation of warm weather in the South during the first half of the month favored the maturing of consid- erable late cotton, especia.lly in Oklahoma where the crop had continued late. Killing frost about the middle of the month, howover, closed the season over practically all portions of the belt. Over the southern trucking districts all fall work was well advanced. The ripeningof citrus fruit was delayed, however, in Florida by marin weather, but in California the crop is maturing in the northern districts nnd ship- ments have begun. Pastures continued green throughout the month in many districts, affording sufkient feed for stock, which is reported in good condition to enter the winter in all dis- tricts, save m the far Southwest, where drought has pre- vailed for some time, and in portions of the Northwest, where much fodder was injured by frost and the supply of winter feed is short.
Average aecumulahd departurea for Novmnbar, 1915.
and rains during the latter part still further I f elayed opera-
-4
--~
LOCAL STORMS DURING NOVEMBER.
The following notes of severe local storms hare been taken from official reports to the Weather Bureau: Arkansas.-Two tornadoes occurred in Arkansas on November 25, 1915, one at Hot Springs, at about 3:15
p. m., and one at Stamps and Bodcaw, a t about 3 :30 p. m. The storm at St.amps and Bodcaw developed the charac- teristics of a tornado, the funnel-shaped cloud and the rotary winds being plninl evident. Several persons were
d e storm at g o t Springs, however, destroyed much more property and attracted the more attention because of the number of persons killed. The Hot Sprmgs tornado was first seen about 6 miles directly south of that town a t about 3 :10 or 3 :15 p. m. and disap eared over Indian Mountain a t 3:25 or 3:30 p. m.,
about 30 miles per hour. The path of the storm was
in'ured and ioperty v s uod at $25,000.was destroyed.
travning P about 7 d e s in fifteen minutes, or a t a rate of
about 0 miles long and varied from a few rods to one-
fourth of a mile in width. An excellent description of the storm was given by Mr. T. C. Yerkes, clerk at tho Arling- ton Hotel, who was at the to of Hot Sprin Mountam
portion of Hot Spring Creek Valley. He said: and saw t.he tornndo when it L t formed in t T e eouthern
The tornado lqoked ljke a 1 balloon with a long tail from which smoke was escaping 1d9 it swayrfrom one rnde to the other, the end of the tail touching the ground most of the time BB it came swinging dong. At first it a peared as thou h it were coming directJ over the moun- tain, but wgen about 23 mifes south of town it tumd to the eaat, just touchin the ouhkirta, then curved to the north again and crowed
Indian %fountain into Saline River Valley. Wisps of cloud were continually forming and rushing into it from all sides. It took the tornado about 15 minute8 to pass. We were preparing to run down the other side of the mountain, but when i t changed its come we BBW there
WAS no danger and stayed to watch it. We saw heavy ran accom ny- ingand following it and ran down to the hotel, but were drenched c o r e we reached it. The roaring, grinding noise that accompanied the storm was almost doafeniog.
Although the storm was not so intense as many that have occurred, 10 persons were killed, 45 in'ureh, and
Efe and property would doubtless have been ap d i n g if the storm had not changed its course about 2& mi T ea south of the town, aa it was moving directly toward the residence section. Florida.-A tornndo occurred at Pace, Fla., about 8
a. m. November 26, 1915 (see below). Kcrnsas.-On the evening of November 10, 1915, Great Bend, a thriving town of nearly 5,000 inhabitants, was stivck by the most destructive tornado that has ever been re orted in Kansas. This is the latest recorded date on wEich a tornado has occurred in Kansas, the next latest being November 8,1870, in Republic County. The Great Bend storm caused the death of 11 persons, injured between 50 and 75 more, and destroyed property in and near the city valued at approximately a million dollars. It first appeared about 16 miles southwest of Great Bend. bIovmg toward the northeast it next touched the ground at the Moses and Clayton south ranch, where about 1,000 sheep were Idled. From there i t swept. across the soutlieast corner of Great Bend, demolishing ever thing in its ath, which was from two to three
unusual1 windy a t Great Bend, but about 7 p. m. there was a lu I 1 for H few minutes, and a t 7:07 p. m. the storm broke. The roaring that accompanied it was commonly described as being "like the sound of a hundred locomotives."
roperty valued at $300,000 was destroyed. h he loss of
bloc l s wide and s R arply defined. The day had been
found just west of Claflin, about 18 miles northeast of Great Bend. Alto- ether its path was about 35 miles long and not more %an a quarter of a mile wide.
Tho second tornado of November 10 occurred near Pratt about 8:30 p. m., movin in a northeasterly direc-
east. Its nth was about 100 feet wide and sharply defined. &e funnel-shaped cloud was not seen on account of the darkness., but the effects of the storm leave little doubt regarding its character. As it passed over 110 towns proprtp destmrt.ion wnq aompnmtivcl-
tion from a point 2 d e s sout fl of Pratt to one 2 miles
678 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. NOVEMBER, 1915
small, and no lives were lost, though there were some very narrow escapee and one person was injured. The value of the propertv destroyed, which includcs chiefl farmhouses, barns, livo stock, and crops already housed: was about $15,000. Tho third storm formed about 10 p. m. a few miles southwest of Zyba (4 miles south of Pock, Sumnor County) and moved northeastward, causing the death of 3 persons a t Zyba and 1 at Dorby, 10 miles to the northeast. Twenty-eight persons were injured by this storm, which also destroyed proport to the estimated
value of $50,000. Its ath was 16 m es lon , about one-
shaped cloud was not seen on account of the darkness.
eighth mile wido, an% sharply defined. $% he funnel-
PACE, FLA., NOVEXBER 26, 1016.
William F. Reed, jr., local forecaster at Pensacola, Fla., rrports that a tornado occurred at Pace, Fla. (4-30' 35' N. ; X=S7' 14' W.) on November 26, 1915. Moderate to fresh southerly gales occurred a t Ponsacola between 8 p. m. November 25 and 8 a. m. of the 26th, the highest 5-minute rate being 48 miles pcr hour from the southwest at 7:05 a. m. on the 26th and the extreme rate 55 miles from the southwest at 7.01 a. m. On the
morning of Novembcr 26 t.hunderstorms wero occurring in the southern end of a low-pressure trou h over the
had been observcd in the wcst and northwest at 6 :45 a. m. ; at 6:55 a. m. threatening conditions were rapidly approaching; rain bcgan at 7:02 a. m. This rain ended a t 10:30 a. m., having amounted to 0.38 inch, of which 0.32 fell between 7 mid S a. m. Faint peals of thunder werc heard frcm 7:14 to 9:20 a. m.; lightning was ob- served from 7:18 to 8:20 a. m. No damage was done at Pensacola. After reachin Pensacola the storm moved north-
While on its way the storm a oridatown on
west, lasting only a few minutes and doing no damage. The tornndo seems to have reached Pace at 8 a. m. as a black funnelahaped cloud coming from the south- west and moving toward the northeast. A distinct whirl WIM observed in the cloud which rose and fell at short intervals and was accompanied by "a roaring noise like 50 freight trains," and one person re orts that
general direction in whicz trees and d6bris 1ay.was from southwest to northeast; the length of the ath at this
the greatest destruction occurred. Another observer, whose house was moved 6 inches and whose sheds were carried 100 yards, found the path to be about 100 ynrds
wide. No one was killed.
Mississippi Vdley. At Pensacola portions o 9 a Iainbow
%
northeastwaId, d oing the greatest dam e at Pace, Fla.
Escambia Bay as a straight %f ow from tht south-south- eared at
the noise was mostl above the tree tops. rp here was some lightning and z eav rainfall for 20 minutes. The
place was 3 milos, with a width of one-fourt R mile where
WBIA-R COND&OZQS OVER THE NORTH ATLLWTIO
The data presented are for November 1914, and com- parison and study of the same should be in connection with those appearing in the REVIEW for that month. "he
accompanying Chart IX (XLIII-131) shows for Novem- ber, 1914, the averages of pressure, temperature, and the prevailing direction of the winds at Greenwich mean noon, together with the location and courses of the more severe storm tracks of the month. During the month as a whole the distribution of the mean atmospheric pressure over the greater art of the
lo ical Chart of the North Atlantic Ocean for November. $he Azores high was of less area and of sli htly greater
of its usual position. The center of the Icelandic low was too far north to be shown on the chart, but judging from the nearly nonnd location of tho 29.70 isobar, it is probably not far from its normal osition. Over the northern-central part of
gales reported, although in man instances i t was im-
da on account of lack of observations. the tracks of low
appoared on November 1, over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Vancouver Island. This moved in an easterly direction through southern Canada, and on the morning ,of the 5th was on the Atlantic coast near Chatham, Canada. On November 6, 1914, the a arent center WBS
to the eastward reportin winds of from 40 to 48 milea
ortions of the area moderate winds and fog prevailed. 8 n November 7 it had moved northeastward and WBS
central near latitude 59' N. and longitude 26' W., the wind havin decreased in force. By the 8th the storm had movedseyond the limits of the chart. A second low (11 on Chart IX) ap eared in Alberta near
ber 11. This moved in a southeasterly direction and passed over Chicago on the night of the 12th; thence curving slightly to the northward it reached the Cana- dian coast near Chatham on the morning of the 14th, moderate winds of from 36 to 40 niiles prevailin On November 15 i t was central near latitude 49' anflonf- tude 45', the barometer having fallen slightly and t e winds increased to a maximum of 48 miles. On the 16th it had moved to latitude 51' and longitude 36', where one vessel reported a barometer rending of 29.05 inches and several encountered winds of 64 mdes an hour, accom- panied b hail and rain. No trace of this storm could be
erly direction off the limits of the chart.
DURING NOVEXBER, 1014.
ocean wa3 similar to the normal, as shown on t R e Meteore
intensity than normal, while its crest was a Q out 6' west
the ocean t R ere were more than the average number of
possible to show the movement o 9 the storm from day to
areas for November, 1914, ublishe 5 in the REVIEW for that month, a low (I on C R art IX) is shown that first
near latitude 51' N. and longitude 46' % ., several vessels
an hour, with rain, whi K e in the central and southern
latitude 51' and longitude 115' on t 1 e morning of Novem-
g n Chart 111 (XLII-78), showin
seen on t % e 17th, and i t had evidently moved in a north-