West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-03-27

The Wlnter.-1he winter, of 1870 so
seems destined to take amemo-
rable place la the annals mete-
orology. Although Its extraordinary
thermometric ranges have vet to be
fully made up, IL bids fair to exhibit the
most marked record of sunshine aud
warmth east Of the Mississippi and
south Of the forTy-fifth parallel. The
historian has been at pains to chronicle
remarkably cold winters, as that OF 1912
which as early as November Is com
PEELED the famous retreat of Napoleon's
army from Moscow and turned the tide
OF European affairs. But little notice
has been taken of the remarkably warm
winters, which probably exert no less
decisive an influence on national health
ana wealth, and no scientific work
could yield more practical and mag
nlhclent service TO the world than an
investigation showing the causes of
such seasons. In looking for the expla-
nation Of the present mild weather In "a
important To note that the highest tenn.
peratures In December were reported
Dy the signal Service from the South
Atlantic States. This fact furnishes
one clew TO the solution Of the mysterv.
Atlantic observations taken a year AGO
revealed the fact that the Temperature
OF that ocean In high attitudes was un.
usually high, and IL would seem froru
recent examination that its equatorial
surface Is now exceptionally warm.
The average temperature of the water
throughout December last, as reported
by the Signal Service from
SIX OF its South Atlantic stations, show
that the mean temperature of the ocean
from Key West to Norfolk was then Z.
OnegreeS higher than I'm the same peri
Oh oil 1873. with such OF even less i'm
crease OF its heat the evaporation from
lts tepid eXtratropical bosom must be
very great. liz Is obvious enough that
the stores of heat contained In this ex-
c'esslVe evaporation, when waited i'm
upon the continent and drawn into the
Sisslsslppi Valley, must exerta power
Iul influence In tempering the winter
weather east OF the great river Rut
the abnormal heat of the seas WASHING
our southeastern coasts ia but one factor
IN the solution of our mild winter prob
iem' An old seaman has said, ''he that
watches his barometer watches his
shlpi ana doubtless to the barometric
conditions prevailing over the country
we must look tor the fuller explanation
OF the phenomenon In question. Glanc-
Jug az the most recent summary of the
government weather reports, iC Is at
once seen that over the base of the
Nu"I"iHS lOW-presSure'
condition has prevailed, inducing a
general movement of the atmosphere
from the "high-pressure" zones ex-
tending along the Gulf and South At
lahtlc coasts. This Glow barometerD
range was the marked feature of the
autumnal weather, and there has been
no rush of heavy aerial currents from
the far north OF northwest, still less
from the Pacific coast, sufficient to hll
up or etiace the vast interior depres- |
sion, which, with few intarmissions.
has prevailed since October set In. The |
thwestward flow of the warm, humid |
air currents from the overho ated ocean |
to the southeast OF the United States. |
set up and maintained by the indraught
OF the low pressure In the interior, is
apparently the true solution of the re-
markable winter of lS70-SO.