Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-02-05
An Explanation of the Remarka-
BILE Winter.

y spent, seems destined to take +,
. memorable place in the annals O
d meteorology. Although it's extra
) ordinary thermometrix ranges have
q yet to be fully made up,it bids fai,
!, 70 exhibit the most marked RECORD
}, OF sunshine aud warmth east of th,
a Mississippi, and south of the 45tl
parallel. The historian has beer
at pains to chronicle remarkabl,
cold winters, as that of 1912. whicl
as early as November 1S, compeli-
ed the famous retreat OF Napolea,.'
army from Moscow and turned the
, tide OF European affairs. But lit
; t'tle notice has been taken of the re
markably warm winters, which
probably exert no less decisive an
influence on national health ard
wealth, and no scientific work could
yield more practical and magni6-
cent service to the world than an
investment showing the causes oil
such seasons.
In looking for the explanation OF
the present mild weather it is i'm :
portant to note that the highest
temperatures in December were
reported by the Signal Sci vice from
the South Atlantic States. This fact
furnishes one clew to the solution
of the MYSTERY. Atlantic observa :
tions taken a year ago revealed the
tact that the temperature of that
ocean In high attitudes was unusu
ally high, and it would seem from
recent examination that its equato-
rial surface Is now exceptionally
warm. The average Temperature
of the water throughout Decem Der
last, as reported by the Signal Ser
vice last week from six OF its South
Atlantic stations, show that the
moan temperature of the ocean
from Key West to Norfolk was
then rs degrees higher than in the
same period of 1878. With such
or even less increase Of its heat the
evaporation from it's tepid extra
tropical bosom must be very great.
1t Is obvious enough that the
stores OF heat contained in this
excessive evaporation, when waited
in upon the continent and drawn
into the Mississippi Valley, mus
exert a powerful iufnence III lem
peiing the winter weather east Of
the great river.
Bat the abnormal heat OF the
seas washing our southeastern coasts
is but one factor in the solution OF
our mild winter problem. An old
seaman has said, she that watches
his barometer watches his ship -
and doubtless to the baromctrjc
conditions prevailing over Ii G
country VIC must look for the fuller
explanation Of the phenomenon in
question. Glancing at the moet
recent summary of the government
weather reports. it is at once seen
that over the entire interior of the
country to the base of. the Rocky
Mountains slow pressure" con-
dition has prevailed, inducing a
general movement of the atmos-
rhere from the "high pressure"
zones extending along the Gulf and
South Atlantic coasts. This Glow
barometer" range was the marked
feature Of the autulnnal weather,
and there has been no rush of aerial
currents from the far norti, or
northwest, etill less from the Pacific
coast, sufficient TO fill up or efface
the vast interior depression, which,
with few interlnissions, has pre-
vailed since October set in. The
northwestward flow of the warm,
humid air currents from the over
heated ocean to the southeast of
the United States, set up and
maintained by the indraught of the
low pressure in the interior, is ap-
parently the trne solution of the
remarkable winter of 1S19-SO.-l
This conclusion is now borne out
by the latest official data, as the
present result was forcshadowed
by tie Herald when discussing
data in November. Bnt the cause
of science and the immense interests
involved in the full practical solu-
ton of the great problem of season
able irregularities demand a more
minnie and extensive investigation
OF the equatorial and polar areas,
the varying physical conditions of
which determine each year the
climatic and meteorological changes
which obtain il the temperate
latitudcs.-N. Y. Herald.
The salary OF the Car is SIT 40
per minute. It seems good cay
when one does not remember that
HE principal occupation is. that of
being shot at by some of his beIov.