Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-11-24
THE ALL IMPORTANT SUBJECT

THE ALL IMPORTANT SUBJECT
Director Alciatore, of the Washington
Weather Service, Tells How and
Whom weather Breeders" are Made,
How the Information is Disseminated
and How it Should Be Interpreted.
FORECASTS FOR WASHINGTON
The daily weather predictions for this
state are made by the Forecast Official at
Portland, Or, morning and evening, at 8
O'Clock Eastern time, and are based on
the observations taken by the regular
Observers of the National Weather
Bureau at ~ stations scattered through
out the Pacific Slope, from Tatoosh Island
to Fort Yuma, and from San Francisco
to B;smark. These observations are
tslegraphed twice day, to the Forecaster
at Portland, and are there entered upon
the forecasting charts issued at that
station, and from there the man Of
Probabilities" makes his deductions as
to the probable weather conditions that
are likely to psevail in Washington and
Oregon, during the ensuing "a or SO
hours from the time the observations
were made; the forecasts are sent to
some twenty Display stations in this
state by telegraph and at Government
expense; special railway bulletin indi-
eating the probable weather tor twenty
four hours is also sent out from the Port
land Office every night and distributed
by the Railway mail clerk along the route
Of the Northern Pacific from Portland to
its northern terminus, to each and every
railroad station passed.
The forecasts issued in the morning are
based on the 8 q. m. observations and
are for a period Of twenty-four hours from
Noon on the day Of issue till Noon of the
following day; when, however, the con-
ditions will warrant it, the forecasts may
be made to cover period of thirty-six
hours and sometimes seyenty-two hours,
the latter being considered the longest
time for which Forecasts ever attempt to
predict the weather. The forecasts sent
out at night are based upon the p. m.
observations and are for period Of
twenty-four hours from Midnight of the
day Of issue till Midnight Of the following
day, unless longer period is named in
the kilograms.
Owing to the enormous expense of
telegraphing the forecasts Of the Nation al
Bureau throughout this vast country, and
in order to keep within the limits of the
appropriations made each year by Con-
gress for this purpose, the weather tele-
grams are necessarily very brief, yet
sufficiently Ineligible to convey the in
formation they are intended to give to
the public.
WEATHER AND TEMPERATURE FLAGS.
| There are in all, but five flags in use by
the Weather Bureau. No. is white
flag, six feet square and indicates clear or
fair weather; No. 2 is blue flag, six feet
square and indicates rain or snow; No. 3
is q half-white and blue flag, six feet
square and indicates light rain or snow !;
No. is black triangular flag, four feet
at its base and six feet long and always
refers to temperature only, when floating
above any Of the other flags it indicates
warmer, and when below any other flags
colder weather and when not displayed
the indications are that the temperature
will remain stationary or that it will not
vary by more than 8 degrees either way !;
No. is white flag, six feet square, with
black square in the center and indicates
that frost is expected to occur over the
districts predicted for.
l.. INTERPRETATION OF FORECASTS.
| A prediction Of: "Fair, colder" made
on the morning of, say Monday, goth,
means that clear, fair, cloudy or foggy
weather, but no rain or snow. is antici-
pated and that the temperature on Tues
day morning will be lower (colder), than
it was on the preceding morning by not
less than 10 degrees or more.
A prediction of: "Rain, warmer"
made ON the same morning (Monday)
| would mean that any time during the
twenty-four hours from Noon Monday till
Noon Tuesday, rain or snow can be looked
for. and that the temperature on Tuesday
morning will be higher, (warmer) by 10
degrees or more, than it was on Monday
morning.
i A prediction of: ''Fair, followed by
rain, stationary temperature" made on
Monday evening, would mean that clear
or fair weather is anticipated from mid
night Monday till Noon Tuesday and rain
or snow at any time after Noon till mid
night Tuesday; stationary temperature
means that the maximum, (highest) tenn
perature on Tuesday will be the same az
that Of Monday or that it will not vary
from it by more than 10 degrees either
way.
| 1t has not been possible, in short