Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-01-30
THE CLIMATE OF NEVADA AND CAL
IFORNIA

lately been paying much attention to scientific
subjects; and at meeting of the Academy OF
Science held in that city on Monday week he
read paper OH the climate of the Pacific
States from which we make the following ex-
tracts:
THE EXISTENCE OF THE DESERT ACCOUNTED FOR.
Forts Yuma and Mohave, on the Colorado
and Mohaye deserts, are IN the zone where
the great body Of descending southwest
return trade wind ,ch the earth. 1t has
been shown that these descending currents
cannot give rain, as, III falling, they contin-
uously arrive at regions of increasing temper
atl1re 1t is therefore, in this zone, on both
sides of the equator, that almost all the great
deserts OF the earth are situated, and primarily
to this cause is their existence due The Mo
have and the Colorado are in the some latitude
north of the equator as the deserts of Sahara
and Arabia. The great desert in the interior
Of Australia is in the same latitude south of
the equator as the desert of Atacama in South
America. The stations of Wadsworth Hot
Springs and Browns, in the above table, are
III Nevada, and in the region of variable
winds, and are made desert for want of ram;
hut better illustrate the last proposition, that
less rain should fall on the opposite side of the
mountains to that exposed and moisture
hearing winds.
RAINFALL on MOUNTAIN SIDES.
For further Illustration OF the proposition,
| have selected stations III different parts of
this State and Nevada
General Myer, Chief Of the Signal Service,
i'll his circular on the practical use of metero-
logical report says; ~ hat wind which III the
ocean would blow with certain velocity, VIII
have but one-ha1 or one-thlrd OF that velocity
when blowing over hlIly country. While
DIablo robs benlcla OF Its ram, 1t Is III part,
compensated from the molsturc-laden air that
How up the Straits OF Carq'nne%' IN collse-
uuehce OF meeting less resistance. Inc sum-
mt OF the Sierra Nevada, Where IL Is crossed
hF the railroad, as mas Dceh SHOWN, receives
an annual mean OF oo4o inches Boca,
thirteen miles northeast IN an air line, but
l,+o4 feet below, on the eastern flank tor the |
same number OF years, receives but an annual
mean OF 90 inches; Reno, 81 miles III an
air line IN the same direction, and l,oIO feet |
below the summit, and nearer the eastern
base OF this range OF mountains, receives tor
the same time but all annual mean OF OF 40
inches. There are two stations, on on each
side OF the Sierra Nevada, whose elevations
above the sea are nearly the Same-Alta, Oh
the SOUTHWESTERN Sioe' anu Dro"hS Oh tAe
I"Iteastell. Inc ilst Has ail ele aVloll 'ioofe
the sea of 1872 feet, the latter of 1925 feet.
Alta received during the record of seven years
IN annual mean of Al. 80 inches, and Browns
for the same period 3 50 inches
MOISTURE BEARING WINDS
DIR. Henry Gibbons has shown from his
daily record of the climate of San Francisco,
that whatever course the wind may have near
the surface of the earth at this place, the
,pper currents of air, whenever their clouds
could be seen, were moving from the south
west. The records of the station at the sum-
nit of the Sierra show the same fact 1t is
not unfreouent that the Sacramento Valley is
filled with southeast wind it may be giving
rain. while a cloud bearing southwest wind
Is blowing at the summit When this south
east wind becomes storm. it flows I'D the
CANYONS. rayines, gulchcs and river courses as
= southwest wind, and ioiDs this upper cur