Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-02
OLD PROPS EXPLAINS
THE REASONS OF THE PRESENT
CLOUDY CHILL WEATHER.
Cyclonic Areas Have Affected Atmos-
pheric Equilibrium is What Lieutenant
Finley Says-Some Comparisons With
Former Seasons.

A recent circular issued by Lieutenant
j. p. Finley. of the signal service bureau,
whose headquarters are at San Fran
cisco, gives as the reason for the pre-
vailing cold and cloudy weather in this
section the prevalence of cyclonic dis
turbances of unusual energy in the
northern portion of the Pacific coast.
He says During the first week of May
cyclonic disturbance of decided energy
prevailed over Oregon, Washington and
British Columbia. Severe gales occurred
off the Washington coast, and unusually
heavy rains were reported as far south
as San Francisco. The area. of
light rain extended southwark to
Mexico. The barometer was decidedly
below the normal in all districts. Be-
fore the atmosphere could recover its
equilibrium over Southern California,
Southern Nevada and Arizona, another
storm entered British Columbia, and
again the barometer began to fall in all
districts, attended by the development
of heavy cloudiness and cool weather.
"There has been rapid succession OF
these cyclonic areas passing eastward
over British Columbia, which continu-
ally affected atmospheric equilibrium
over the southern portion of the Pacific
coast states and prevented any attempt
at recovery. This region is so far south
of the line of storm movements, espec
tally at this season of the year, that
weather fluctuations are very gradual
there. Once under the influence of
pronounced condition of weather the
change from it is very slow. This is
one of the marked climatic differences
between the South Pacific region and the
North Pacific region"
1t will be seen, therefore, that it is
impossible to predict what will be the
duration of the present disagreeable
weather. The weekly weather crop bull
letins published in these columns have
reported the great damage which has
| crop, especially to prunes, hay and
| grain, and ranchers are anxiously watch
! ing the daily representations. The
month of May however, when the record
of the past thirteen years is considered,
! is not by any means unprecedented,
either as regards temperature or humid
| itv. The highest average temperature
for this month during that period was
! 80 degrees and the lowest A degrees.
For May. 1891, the highest average was
| "a degrees, the lowest Al. The average
mean temperature for May during the
! thirteen years was 62 degrees, and the
average for May, 1891, was the same
62 degrees. During May, 1891, the great
est daily range was 26 degrees and the
least degrees.
AS to humidity the average daily per
cent. for May, 1891, was 49, for, the
thirteen preceding years the average for
this month was only 72 per cent. Dur
ing the morning hours of Nav the aver
age was 88 per cent, and during the
afternoon and evening, 68.
AS to sunshine during May, 1891,
there were only four clear days, while
there were twenty fair and seven cloudy.
In no month during the time the records
have been kept has the number of clear
days fallen below four in any month";
During the past thirteen years the aver
age number of clear days was IL, fair IA,
and cloudy 6. In May, 1885, there were
4 clear days, 81 fair and cloudy. In
1883 there were 5 clear. Is fair and 8
cloudy, and for May, 1890, the record is
the same. t