The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-03-05
OREGON CLIMATE.

Ger takes me to task for expressing
the opinion that the seasons in Oregon
were more uniform than in any other
place on this continent, and says if
will go down to Western Central Cal
ifornia l will modify the statement.
The statement to which he refers had
reference directly to the Willamette
Valley, but applies to that part OF Or
egon lyi & west of the Cascade
Range and north of the Calapoosa
Mountains, and also to western Wash
ington. Appended is an extract from
an article On Pacific coast weather by
Lieut.. Finley of the signal service, U.
S. A., which appeared in the National
Tribune, Feb. 9Th:
The preparation of storm-track
charts of the Pacific coast of North
America discloses the fact that from
May to September, inclusive, the cy-
clonic movements from the Pacific
Ocean pass eastward north of the
northern boundary of Washington and
appear in the United States over Da-
kota and Minnesota. Sometimes the
storm centers maintain high latitude
across the continent and move east
ward north of Lake Superior. Their
passage, however, is at a sufficiently
low latitude to give rise to light rains
in Washington and northwestern Ore
gon, thus maintaining in this region an
equable distribution of precipitation
throughout the year. This condition of
things explains the great fertility of
the North Pacific region of the United
States and the rank growth of all veg
citation there. The daily variability Of
temperature is less in Oregon and
Washington, especially the latter, than
in any other portion of the United
States. Such meteorological condi-
ton is of the utmost Importance to
plant and animal life, and insure the
probability of the highest development
in each. Its influence upon the COM
mercial and agricultu; al development
of the country is very powerful. The
temperature is modified by the prox-
unity of the warm waters of the great
Japan Current, which also forms the
source of a most benifcent and equable
supply of moisture.
Also the following from the same
authority of different date:
AS the storms move eastward at a
much higher latitude in Summer, the
Middle Plateau region and California
are compelled to get their rain at this
time of the year from the snow deposit
on the mountains. Under the influence
of Midsummer's heat the snow is con-
stantly evaporated, producing heavy
clouds that drift away from the peaks
over the valleys, and there descend
and dissolve in copious showers. No
snow in winter means no rain in sum-
mer for the Middle Plateau and Cali
fornia.
The rainfall in Cal fornia has been
far below the average so far this sea-
son and their Journals are expressing
the fear that the crops will be short.
Here are some clippings from the San
Francisco Chronicle of recent date
which will explain the situation:
SoNoMA, Feb: uary 13.-Rain fell
here last night and early this morning.
The cold, frost nights, the winds and
the continued dry weather have kept
the grass back, and in consequence
many farmers are feeding hay to their
stock for the first time in years. The
cereals are also being retarded. The
total rainfall to date in this valley has
been less than five inches for the sea-
son, as against thirty-fve inches for
the corresponding time last year.
Possibly the term "rainy season"
misleads Californians as it does East
ern people. They forget that the av-
erage rainfall for forty-one seasons has
been only 23.5 inches, and this is helped
out by such seasons as 1861 50, with
1927 inches; 1S67-69, with 1884 inch
es, and 1889 80, with 46. Is inches. Ten
years ago dry winter about Fresno
meant great loss to all the grain grow
ers. Now such season would not af-
feet one farmer in a score, as all the
vineyardists and fruit growers depend
on irri gation.
The following statement is taken
from the published records of the
weather bureau of Oregon:
The average precipitation train and
melted SNOWY from Jan. 1870 to Dec.
1889, per year was 1854 inches. The
largest amount falling in any one year
was in 1879, when 5O.29 inches fell;
the nearest approach to an equal
amount was in 1877, when 5O.4 inches
was recorded. The smallest amount
falling in any one year during the
same time was 1854 inches which oc-
Cured in 1889, and which in general
way is insufficient for successful agri-
cultural operations, and yet through
out the Willamette valley the husband
man was blessed with abundant crops
for that year. The next lowest amount
of water falling during the year was
3O.71 inches in 1874.
So you can see that the lowest
amount of rainfall in this valley is far
above the average for California; yet
the greatest was but little more. No,
brother Pioneer l have never been to
California, but before and since COM
ing here studied and compared her
climate with this section and the pre-
ponderence of evidence seemed to ia
vor Oregon and although Western Cen
trail California possesses a glorious eli
mate the Willamette valley beats the
world. ELI WEBs.