Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-03-11
WEATHER SIGNS.

WEATHER SIGNS.
Tha, mythical parsonage, that oracu-
lar individual, the coolest inhabitant,"
has been wofully exercised over the
weather during the past Winter. He
ssnever saw the like before" All his
infallible signs failed, one after the
other, and he is greatly surprised
thereat, rs might be expected. He has
nothing left now even to base future
representations upon. Last Fall he
predicted with the greatest confidence
imaginable, that this would be an ''open
Winter" no big storms, no long
stretches of severe or disagreeable
weather-eyerything drawn mild, and
in reactivc contrast to the terrible pre-
yious Winter. Ancient Piutes, and
other wcathcrwise individuals all cor
roborated the prediction Of the aforc-
said " oldest inhabitant." The beaver,
muskrat, ground squirrel and gopher
took no extra pains to build or locate
their little residences in high ground, or
particularly elevated, with au eye to an
ticipated heavy storms and floods, and
the bushy-tailed tree squirrel and little
red chipmunk laid in no extra stores Of
food. Nothing, in fact, justified the
anticipation of such a Winter as this.
4 few days before the commencement
Of the winter season, we made n local
item in the News to the effect that some
almanacs and people who observe the
weather closely, say that the three last
days of Fall, or the three last days Of
November may be relied upon as fair
samples Of what kind Of weather will
t~ranspire during the three Winter
months /; that is to say, should the
three last days Of that month be stormy,
the three winter months would be cor
respondingly so. On the other hand, in
case those three days were mild and
pleasant, a mild, pleasant, open winter
would ensue. This idea was Endorsed
by the oldest inhabitant," but alas
for the fallacy Of human ~prognostica-
tons and weather signs generally. Two
of those oracular days in question were
as fine, mild and pleasant rs any n
could wish, and were supposed to cor
respond with December and January
which turned out some ~fearfully bad
and long continued Winter weather,
while the third and last day was cloudy
and cold, yet February, which it was
supposed to represent, was the mildest
and best Of the three Winter months.
The only comparatively safe and reli-
able representation regarding the
weather we have seen, and one which
is based upon experience and correct
observation in California and elsewhere
on the Pacific coast, is the following
which we read in the Aita last Fall {:
GAN attempts to foretell the weather
for any long period in advance have
proved failures. 1t is safe to expect
when it rains at Shasta that rain will
soon fall at Los Angeles, for though the
rain-bearing wind comes from the
south, it first strikes the earth in the
north. All extensive rain-storms ap-
pear to advance against the wind that
is, the rain begins to fall first at the
point farthest from the source of the
wind. II has been observed that the
same meteorological influences are felt
over n large part Of the earth's surface.
4 wet season in one CONTINENT is usually
wet also in several others and n great
drought may be felt over nearly half the
globe. 1t is said by some old Cali
foruians who have relatives in Mexico,
that when q rainy season (their rainy
season comes in u Summcr) there, is
unusually wet, it is always followed by q
very wet Winter in California, and o
very dry Summer there is succeeded by
a dry Winter here. Last Summer was
unusually wet in Western Mexico ; and
if the rule be correct, we shall have q
wet Winter"