Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-26
GOLD WAVES.

The Progress of Sudden Changes from .
Higher to q Lower Temperature.
The results of preliminary study OF
"Cold Waves and their Progress" by
First Lieutenant Thomas NJ. Woodruff,
Fifth infantry, acting signal officer, has
been issued in the series of signal-ser-
vice notes. ''Cold waves" are defined
as changes from higher to lower
temperature, which seem to be indie
pendent of the time of day and of the
season of the year and have an extend
ed progressive movement across the
country.
In various Investigations and studies,
Lieutenant Woodruff says: It has been
shown that a fall of temperature sue
Deeds OF follows an area of low harOm-
] eter, and a rise precedes such an area;
and that in general the reverse is true
2 Of an area of high barometer, viz: that
q fall precedes and rise follows it.
We should then, perhaps, have these
questions asked: Is the cold the effect
of an area of high barometer, or is the
area of high barometer due to decrease
of temperature? The solution of these
questions would, the writer says, make
the study quite simple and give very
safe way of predicting cold waves. Not
answering these questions, but accept
ing the two general conclusions above
given, Lieutenant Woodruff passes to
the facts presented upon the tri-daily
temperature charts of the United States
signal service for the years 1881, 1882,
1888 and 1884, and the months of Jan
uary to June inclusive.
In various studies upon the origin
and movements of areas of high and
low barometer, the Lieutenant saws it
has been shown generally that they
move almost invariably across the
United States from west to east The
determination of tho movement of the
barometer largely determines the move
ment of the following high Now most
of the areas of low barometer are
formed in the region of the Rocky
Mountains, and as these areas move
eastwardly the high moves in, and we
have accompanying cold wave of
more or less intensity. Even if the low
area pursue an abnormal track the cir
culation of the winds about the high
and low is such as to produce almost
invariably decided fall in tempera-
ture, if the low be eastward of the high.
An inspection of the charts referred to
shows that during the months named
there we've twenty-one cold waves in
1881, twenty in 1882, twenty-six in 1888
and twenty-one in 1884. The cold
waves are most frequent in the first
three months Of EACH year, and the
nlonth of January has more than any
month. No cold wave is noted in this
enumeration unless it produced an alb.
normal change of fifteen degrees or
more in its passage over the selected
s. stations which were as follows: Helena,
Mont; Bismarck, D. T.; st. Paul,
Mimi; Omaha, Neb.; Chicago, Ill. !;
st. Louis, Mo-; Shreveport, La; Gal
weston, Tex; Nashville, Tenn; Buffalo,
NY; New Orleans, La; Jacksonville,
Fla; Boston, Mass, and Washington,
About fifteen per cent. of the cold
waves observed come from the Pacific
coast and eighty-five per cent. origi-
mated east of the Rocky mountains, OF
came down the east side of these mount
aims from the British Northwest Terri
tory. All of the cold waves traced out
during these six months in each year,
appeared first at Helena, Mont, except
FIVE, which five were felt at BISMARCK,
D. T., before being felt at Helena; and
We must conclude, says Lieutenant
Woodruff, that they have their origin
in the vast regions of Joe and snow
near the Arctic circle, far to the north
OF the observing stations. With re-,
spect to the time of day of the appear
ance of cold waves in the Northwest,
it is found that there is no absolute rule
and that they are quite independent
OF the diurnal changes of temperature
due to the alienation of day and night.
Forty made their first appearance upon
the three p. M. washington time)
temperature charts, which in the N ORTIZ
west corresponds to about the warmest
part Of the day, and ten first appeared
upon the eleven p. m. charts.
In respect to their progressive mo-
ton, Lieutenant Woodruff divides cold
waves into three classes. OF the
eighty-eight observed twenty-five be-
longed to the first class or to those that
move directly across the country from
west to east, and which follow an al
most invariable path along the chain
OF great lakes and across New England
and do not extend to the States south
Of the Ohio river, To the second class
those which move In southeasterly
direction and cover the entire country
in their progress-he assigns forty
seven out of the lightweight and he as
signs nineteen to the third class-those
which move southerly from Montana
and Dakota to Texas. thence through
the Gulf States, and then northeasterlyI
over the Atlantic coast States. It
sometimes occurs with the third class
that the cold wave is first felt at st.
Louis and Shreveport before being felt
at st, Paul and Chicago, and that then
the cold wave takes the general. move
ment eastward of the second class. 80
In commenting upon results and in
fluences of cold waves, Lieutenant
W9odruff says: 1t often happens that
cold wave sets in from the extreme
Northwest, and upon reaching the
Mississippi River divides, a part going
northeasterly to the lower lake region,
and the other part southwark to the
Gulf States, in either case the intensity
appears to be greatly diminished. This
action seems generally to be due to the
sudden development of storm some
where in the southern part of the Mis-
souri, Valley. Sometimes a storm of
slight energy remains in Kansas, Mis-
souri, and Indian Territory, and has the
affect of retarding, or even totally de-
lsfY.oyiuo a cold wave AGAIN when a