Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-12-24
HUMIDITY,
Annual mean. .61.3 64.5
AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL

Sacramento, 10 inches; Stockton, 16 s
inches; south end OF Sau joaquin Valley
6.5 inches (these three measurements arc
taken from the official report of the Stat
Engineer. 18S0); Los Angeles, 1877 inchei
average for the last e'ght years, as shown
by rain-guage kept by MIR. Ducommnn, q
Los Angeles.
A comparison of the foregoing ia.
bles shows Los Angeles to possess,
as coutrasted with Sacramento, al
atmosphere warmer and dri or IL
| Winter, and cooler and moister in
Summer, while the table of pre-
cipitatiOn shows the average all
nual rainfall OF eighteen inches ut
Sacramento diminishing as you go
south, in accordance with the law
already mentioned, TO 1873 at
Stockton, and In the Tuiare aud
Kern Valleys. Sill father south, to
only Sd inches. Yet at Los An
geler, in Southern California, 1t
has suddenly risen again to II. 97
inches, almost the same rs at Sac.
ramento. The cause Of this has al.
ready been explained In the first
part of this article.
The warmer Winter in Southern
California, as compared with the
moro ucrtiern portion Of the State,
and the greater exemption from
cold, drying winds, make this
amount practically equivalent to u
larger rainfall in Upper California,
ms vegetation is not so much re.
tarded by the cold Of December
and January, but the whole of the
Winter becomes Il growing season.
The growing season Is also pro-
longed by the fogs aud humidity
of late, cool Spring. Tue heat Ut
Summer sets in late. The season
is several weeks behind that of
Sacramento. Almost nightly, until
July, n heavy toy rolls IN, wrap.
ping the more open portions OF the
country in cloud OF mist--at
times almost drigziing rain
which does not lift until several
hours after sunrise.
The daily sea breeze, only slight.
ly obstructed by the low frag ments
of the Coast Rrange, finds its way to
all PORTIONS of the system of valleys,
saving them from tho excessive
temperature aud the rapid evapo-
ration of the Sacramento and San
Joaquin country. Winter tisnnsis
are only changed 10 u lighter Sum.
mer flannel. In eleven years of
residence at Los Angeles I doubt
if have worn u linen coat upon an
average five days year; many
wears I have never had Que on at
all.
Another factor enters into the
problem Of the climate of Southern
California. rhs influence OF the
Sonora Summers rain current is
sensiDly felt everywhere south of
the Tehachepi mountains.
Raius are common In all tire
mountains Of Southern California
during the Summer months, with n
moist, cloudy air in the valleys.
Three seasons Ia eleven years
have seen heavy rains OF several
hours duration, extending all over
the valleys, In July aud August.
During these months of every year
thunder-storms with often vivid
lightning can be seen, sometimes
daily, following along the line OF
the mountain Chains. These Sum.
mer rains help In u measure to
keep up the volume OF water in th e
rivers for Irrigation, while all over
the valleys the moist air which the
rain current brings il iuslrumental
In materially checking eyapora.
ton. The Summer has little Of the
harsh dryness of the climate in the
northern part OF the State. The
humidity Of the atmosphere II
shown by the great tieecy cumuli,
which float slowly across the sky
like the summer clouds of the East
ern States, and by peculiar soft
mess of air resembling much the
balmy milduess of the Mediter.
rsnean.
This soft, moist air admits Of The
raising Of one product not else
where extensively cultivated in
California. Here, as In the Missis
sippi States, corn Is the staple crop
its broad, green leaves luxuriatinl
in the warm lair In which 1t de
lights. SO the rank growth, and
the rich, juicy green Of the orange
and the fig leaves, show the mild.
ness and humidity Of q climate
which to them 10 home.
The drainage from the watershed
OF the Sierra, which stands ~ q
huge background to the whole sys.
tenn OF Valleys adords an unusual