Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-06-19
Climate Of Washington

Climate Of Washington.
IS ! ne state board of trade has issued
ness hphlet from Seattle descriptive of the
,s, % &te of Washington. The substance
% . it gas follows
H. dis EsrERN WASHINGTON. Written for
lei. :. Washington State Board Of Trade
It 1r. r. NJ. Hoskinson, Observer at
,re ai@ Blakely. For fourteen years l
ics taken three observations daily of
81 temperature, rainfall and other mat
az pertaining to meteorology, and dur
i this time there has not been hot
nor one on which the murcnrv
opped to zero, Fahrenheit The high
st temperature recorded was on June
), 1873, as follows morning, go; noon,
94o; evening, 80. Since then on only
three days has Il record of go been
made The lowest temperature recorded
was on the morning of January Is, 1888,
30 above zero, the next lowest being on
February II, 1884, 70 above zero.
There has not been sufficient frost in
the fourteen years to destroy potatoes
lett IN the ground where they grew.
November Ia, 1885, there were twenty
seven varieties of flowers blooming in
my door-yard, and during several win
tiers flowers were in continuous bloom
IN open ground. During the winter of
Io9O-l some of my flowers began to
bloom in the middle of January and
tender geranlums left out of doors were
not killed until February 2.
There has not been a month without
rainfall. The greatest precipitation was
for March, 1879, 1870 inches, and the
least, for September, 1890, OF inch.
The rainfall for 1878 was 1888 inches;
1879, CAST; 1880, 1895; 1881, 1892;
1882, 1888; 1883, 1858; 1884, 34.O3;
1885, 1853; 1886, 1892; 1887, 4O.99;
1883, 1897; 1889, 1857; 1890, 32.lO.
Compared with regions of the same lat
ltude east OF the Rocky Mountains. the
snow fall is very light, and there is
rarely any sleighing. Grasses general
~ are green and growing the entire
year, making the dairy business most
profitable. Cyclones, tornadoes and
billiards are unknown, and thunder is
seldom heard, AS there are few, if any,
masmatlc influences, there is no call for
ague cures and drastic pills.
Figures as to temperature at any one
point IN western Washington apply in
general to every point west of the Cas-
cade range. There is great variation in
the rainfall. Mr. Bell, observer of the
Signal Corps at Walla Walla, gives me
the following figures as to mean annual
precipitation: Neah Bay, 105 % inches;
Port Angeles, 1856; Port Townsend,
18.47; Seattle, 50.03; Olympia, 56O8;
Tacoma, 1886; Bellingham Bay, 1866;
Fort Vancouver, 1887; Fort Candy,
GIGS, the last named place being about
200 feet above sea level, and the others
about on sea level.
In speaking Of the climate of Wash
ington and Oregon, Lieutenant John P.
Finley, in charge of the Division of the
Pacific, United States Signal service,
says in Bulletin No. ~, issued March
II, 1891:
1.-The geographical position of these
two states is most fortunate one. Lo-
Gated IN the latitude of the easterly trend
of the central portion of the Japan cur
rent they receive the full benefit of the
wan fiAINA LlIO4SluI6 continually rising
from this great stream. The atmospher-
le eddles or areas of low barometric
pressure forming over the Japan current
enter'the continent throughout the year
In manner to provide Il most equable
distribution of rain. The relation of the
two great states to the Japan current is
one OF vital Importance to their CONNER
cial and agricultural interests and
should be clearly understood BY the
people. Reverse the direction OF this
current so that its motion in the equa-
torial regions is westerly and in tho
temperate zone easterly, and shift its
latitude few degrees to the south, and
the North Pacific Coast states would be
come barren and bleak as northern Can
ada and Labrador, How great factor
then IN the development of country is
the supply of heat and moisture! The
following is brief summary of the
effects of these features of the Japan
current: % A general equabiity of
temperature unequaled in any other
portion of the United States. (2) A
gradual change from the heavier rains
o. winter TO the lighter rains of summer,
giving rise to a most beneficial distribu-
ton of precipitation throughout the
year. (3) In the winter the atmos-
pheric disturbances from the Japan cur
rent move eastward at a lower latitude
than in summer, and this shifting north
and south of the storm centers makes
the difference in rainfall between the
two seasons. But us the change of the
. eenters is not very great respecting Or
rtegon and Washington, these states are
% 9lwavs within the area of precipitation
accompanying the low pressure area
~ A prolific growth of all forms of
lint life. 90 Climatic conditions
rich favor to a marked extent the
NC with of most cereals and other staple
ps. co. The alienation of rain
ii fair weather in such a manner as to
tgide most suitable conditions for
lifting and harvesting. CD The alb
lol ee cs excessively violent storms, ow-
'peeto the southwest detection of the
ne pan current at the parallel of 45o
l :" ui3Srth; the cold Alaskan current along
, clt- California coast; and the dry atmos-
eoA here of the Middle Plateau region.
Tho 81 Computed from the records of
e-'l my twenty stations covering long
A Series of years the PERCENTAGE of rainfall
IN Washington varies from 2.O5 per
cent. in August. to 1870 per cent. in
y January
Because of these climatic conditions
TINS is an unexcelled fruit growing re-
gion Apple, pear, plum, prune and
cnerry trees begin bearing in their