The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-04-19
KANSAS WEATHER.

KANSAS W6ATH66.
The most careful, intelligent and &C
curate weather observer in Kansas IL
Prof. Frank II. Snow. of the State
University. For twenty-one years he
has kept a record of the rain fall, cloud
mess, snow, temperature, and wind
making his observations and measure.
ments regularly and frequently. From
these records, which he has intelligent
ly studied, he has recently compiled
tables of interesting statistics and
facts concerning Eastern Kansas
weather. These he sums up as follows
Only about one-ninth of the annual
precipitation in Kansas, occurs in the
winter months. In the Eastern States
the amount of rain, including melted
snow, is nearly as large in winter as in
each of the other seasons. In Kansas,
which has less rain in winter than any
State in the Union except Minnesota
and Nebraska, the apparent deficiency
is abundantly made good by a more
copious supply of rain iD spring, sum.
mer and autumn than is received by
many of the other states.
The distribution of rain through the
months of the year is highly conduc-
i've to agriculture prosperity. Begin
ming with January, in which the aver.
age precipitation is reduced to its min
imum, there is constat increase In
the average for each month until June
and July, when the rainfall reaches its
nd To
succeeding month, showing decrease
in the average amount, until the mini
mum is again reached in January. IL
is rarely the case that the monthly
rainfall during the growing season de.
parts from the normal to such an ex-
tent as to seriously injure the staple
crops.
During twenty-one years of observa-
ton there has been only one drouth
extending over the entire State of Kan
sas. This was i'm the 1874, since which
time there have been but two partial
crop failures of anything more than a
local character.
This table also indicates the existen-
ce of rainfall cycle of about seven
years precipitation above the average
and a similar series of years of precipi-
tation below the average. Thus the
years of IS6S-1S69, 1S76-187S, and 1888
1855 exhibit an excess OF rain, while
the intervening periods exhibit a de-
ficiency.
March and November have in one or
two instances been winter months,
while May and September are occas-
ionally summer months. The second
half of May and the first half of Sep.
TENDER frequently belong to the sum-
mer season. The mean annual tenn
perature is little less than 81 degrees
which does not differ essentially from
that Of other States to the east of Kan
sas in the same latitude,
In their effect upon the population
the summers of Kansas are less OPP
pressive and exhausting than might
be inferred from their frequent length
and high temperature. OF the twenty
one summers which have come under
observation, thirteen have been of
medium temperature, four have been
very hot and four very cool. The me-
dunn summers are comfortable, and
cool summers are delightful, and there
are important compensations by which
the hot summers are rendered far more
tolerable than those of States to the
east of Kansas between the same par
allele of latitude. Among these COM
peusations are the general GOODNESS of
the nights. no matter how hot the day
may be; the unusual dryness of the at
mosphere, which cools the surface of
the body by a more rapid evaporation
of the perspiration;.. and the almost
constant brisk movement of the air,
which rarely becomes calm.
The autumns of Kansas furnish the
most enjoyable weather of the year,
the mild Indian summer frequently
continuing until nearly Christmas.
The winters of Kansas have enough
rigor to protect the population from
the chronic iangour too often engen-
dered by southern climate. Without
the extreme severity which benumbs
the faculties, the winter temperature
is sufficiently low to impart that
healthful stimulous to mental land
physical activity which seems essen.
t1al to the highest development of the
human race.
OF the twenty-one winters whose
records are before us, twelve have
been of moderate temperature, with
mean between 26 and 80 degrees; five
have been severe, with mean below 25
degrees: in one winter (lS74-5) reach
ing 22.70 degrees; and four haye been
exceedingly mild, with mean above
80 degrees, in one winter( 1S77-S) reach
ing 1884 degrees. The winters gener-
ally break up in February, the first
wild flowers often appearing before
the end of that month.