Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-06-18
Gbe Yermont 4Benit.
BRATTLEBORo:
FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 1s, 1875.
The secret Of Spring weather.


Our late erratic spring has provoked the
usual amount of comment and discussion,
yet we have failed 10 notice any attempt TO
trace the causes of the persistent chillinoss
of the air in the face of the SUMS manifest
power, or to account for the sudden sum-
mer heat OF May.
Not that there has been anything extra
ordinary in the conditions Of the weather
this year. Spring in our climate is always
an uncertain blending of winter and sum-
mer, each retaining much of its Lativo pc
cuiarity; so that ii is no uncommon thing
for morning mild as June TO he followed
by snowstorm in the afternoon, or for an
icy wind, piercing as an arctic blast, TO
sweep the open country, while In sheltered
places the sun burns with midsummer In
tensity. Such contrasts are tirosomely
common, yet they never cease to strike us
as something abnormal. In spite OF our
yearly experience to the contrary, we per-
sist in thinking that winters severity
ought TO let up gradually; that the transit
ton from winter 10 summer ought to be as
gentle and uniform as the change from
summer to winter. Why it is not and can
not be may be worth a moments thought.
II is well known that one Of the chief fac
tors of climate is the suns altitude. The
more nearly vertical its rays, the greater
its power. The suns position, however,
is not the only factor. If it were, Februa-
ry would be as mild as October, April as
hot as August. When under favorable con-
ditions we experience the sweltering heat
~ ha nj in
time, we say that it must be through con-
trast with the winters cold that we feel the
heat so keenly. But we deceive ourselves.
During the months when winter fingers in
the lap Of spring, the days are as long, the
altitude of the sun is as great, and the heat
ing power of his rays is as intense as in
midsummer. Their failure to mitigate
more rapidly the severity of the season is
due 10 the simple fact that they have other.
work 10 do.
To change pound of ice at 800 10 water
of the same temperature requires the ex-
penditure of 143 units OF heat, each capa-
BILE of raising, when converted into me-
chan ical motion, a pound weight 772 feet
high. In melting pound Of ice, therefore,
more than fifly-five foot tuns of solar ener-
gy is exhausted. Think what an incalcu-
liable amount of solar radiation is required
to melt The millions OF tuns of ice and
snow every spring between this and Green
land
am cunts of water are converted into ice in
the northern hemisphere, setting free an
enor nous amount of heat to reinforce the
rays of the declining sun, giving us an In
dian summer at a season when the wealth
or would be coolest did the temperature
depend upon the sun alone.
This year winter fingered unusually late,
and summer came with burst. The ice
in the lakes and rivers was uncommOnly
thick, and the ground was covered deep
with snow. To convert this snow and ice
into water taxed The suns power, so that
It was not until after it had reached the
nor thern tropic and was southwark bound
again that it began TO gain on the wintry
weather. 1t will be remembered also that
the greater part of the snow was not mere
ly melted, but evaporated. 1t disappeared
while we were anticipating disastrous
fioods-not through the rivers, but into the
air.
Had the snow gone off in the form of
water, each pound of it would have ex-
hausted So foot tuns Of solar energy. To
CONVEX 1T it into vapor required about sew
en- times as much, or 1924 foot tuns, that
being the mechanical equivalent of one
DO und of water vapor. In view of the vast
amount of snow and ice evaporated this
spring, it is not surprising that the APP
pr zach of warm weather was SO dilatory.
1t was the price we had TO pay for exemp-
ton from floods and fresheis.
Having cleared the ground OF snow and
and snow water, The sun was free to
give its full force TO the earth, which, in
the alb sence of the usual spring rains, was
spec Oily put in condition TO convert the
suns rays into heat for the warming of the
air. Consequently the interval was briei
betw cen reports of ice foes in the harbor
and sunstrokes in the streets.-ScientHc
american.