The record-union., 1892-03-26
OF INTEREST TO MANY PERSONS.
Some Of the Storm Phenomena of the
Pacific Slope.
Signs Which Sometimes are Reliable.
but Which Frequently Fail
Weather Service Terms.

/ circular on the subject OF St0rmS-tleIl
| origin. direction and other features-says
the natural trend OF storms advancing to-
4 ward the Pacific Coast from the ocean is
eastward and north of Washington. The
j territory north of Washington and Idaho
shows by its denuded aspect that the
/ fierce gales and rains to which the middle
and southern coast are but rarely subjected
here have full sway. The excessive
precipitation on the extreme upper coast
of Washington, caused by the counter
currents of warm and cold air, and the
extreme wind velocities at the most
northwest station of the Weather Bureau
(Tatoosh Island), sometimes blowing at q
velocity of 100 and more miles per hour
are proof of the violence with which
| storms strike that coast. Such storms, il
they were to strike the middle coast with
any degree of frequency, would rapidly
! depopulate that district
A storm advancing from the ocean and
not hampered by mountain ranges
sweeps eastward; but meeting air cur
rents with different temperatures as the
| land is approached, the deposition OF
moisture begins. The conditions over
/ the land at such time, whether there is
a wave OF high air pressure banked up
/ over the northwest territory, determines
/ the period of the check in its eastward ca
reer. If the barometric conditions are
/ favorable, that is if the barometer is com
! paratlvely low over Montana, Idaho and
over the northwest, there is but little de-
| lay; but II the barometer is high ovel
these districts, such fact, with the high
lands to be traversed,
oFTTIMES DELAYES THE STORM
On the upper coast, where its motion
continues until either a falling pressure
to the eastward permits, or 6
forces it over it's eastern patti
with greatly diminished energy, or il
may move southwark along the coast ano
rebound from here to there until its en-
ergy is wasted, or finally find an east
ward exit over the upper country, or be
lost or filled up in the southern country
A storm striking Washington, Oregon
or Northern California differs decidedly
| in its effects on the weather on the coast
for with such a depression there is
always tendency for the winds to go tC
/ the southwark, which direction, in the
majority Of cases, gives rains to Cali
fornia; and if the storm is decided in its
character, it may cross to the southeast
ward and join the general low-air press.
ure that hangs over Southern Nevada and
! Southeastern CalifoEAia, where it will
remain until it is filled up by the winds
! from some wave of air that sweeps to-
ward the interior.
In but very few cases do storms cross
/ the Rockies between the British line and
Mexico, and when they do cross it is with
such diminished energy that unless rein
| forced by favorable conditions east of the
Rockies they retain but remnant of the
force with which they affected the Pacific
country.
STORM FREQUENCY Is VARIABLE,
But general average will place them at
one IN every i've or six days, and when
so-calied weather prophets speak Of q
storm that IS expected in a certain region
! between certain dates, ranging 1rom four
/ to six days, it is known that such
! prophets" have just sufficient knowl-
! edge of meteorological affairs to forecast
according to nature. That the severity
of storms can be determined in advance
is out of the question. There is kind Of
a general rule that very low pressure OF
ar is followed by comparatively high
pressure, but either OF such low or high
pressures may be formed by merging OF
two storms or Of two high areas.
IN REGARD TO "sIGNs."
| There are no we'll defined laws govern
! ing the movement Of storms on the Pa
! citic slope. East of the Rockies storms
move from west to east with remarkable
J regularity; but west of the Rockies il is q
/ question from the moment that the ba-
! rometer begins falling on the upper
! Washington coast to the time of the dis
! appearance of the storms as to what NAV
result. At times the air pressure will be-
gin TO fall in the west portions of Wash
ington and Oregon, with every indica-
ton OF storm that Will sweep California.
or at least give general rains; in less
than twelve hours after such conditions
have been noted there will be entirely
dissimilar conditions existing. Situated
on the coast as we are there are but few
rules applicable to storm movements,
and such few are embodied in the follow
| ing:
A rising air pressure over the southern
country and a falling over the upper coun-
try indicates southerly wind and rain.
| A rapidly falling pressure along the
upper coast, and general slight fall
| southwark TO San Francisco, viii give a
south to southeast wind movement and
| probable rains, even though the interior
country-Idaho, Utah, Western Nevada
and Northern ArizOna-haS fair weather
with high air pressure.
| A high air pressure advancing from the
ocean toward the California coast, south
Of San Francisco, will give rains to the
upper country, and very likely to the
Southern California coast.
| a high air pressure advancing toward
| Northern California or Oregon and
/ Washington, and settling over the upper
country, will give fair weather with ris-
ing temperatures.
FAIR WEATHER SIGNS
| During the winter season on the Pacific
/ Slope are foretold by generally high
! barometer over Utah, Idaho and the con
! tiguous country, and with a lower pres.
! sure over Southern California and Arr.
iona. Should high pressure show an
inclination to move southwark and Their
! westward to reverse the conditions tgiy.
ing high pressure over the southern
country and a low pressure over the up.
per country, general rains would result
since ali winds would move in rain-bear.
| ing directions.
A fact worthy of remembrance to stu.
dents of the weather charts of the Weathel
Bureau is that when the isobars, or line:
/ connecting places having an equal all
pressure, are drawn from west to east
and the highest barometer readings are
IN the south, rains invariably follow
since the general air movement woulc
| then be from the southwark
Reverse the positions of the highest anG
lowest pressure, having the highest oveI
the upper country and the lowest over
J the southern country, or if the isobars
run longitudinal fair weather is the rule
OUR COOL OR COLD WAVES
Are very infrequent, but when we dc
| have them the result from an overflow.
! ing atmosphere from great bank of all
overhanging the Rocky Mountain region
or immediately east that is held in check
1 by untoward circumstances from pursr.
ing its usual eastward path, or it may be
that wave of cold air that is advancing
! southeaStward from the British country
! splits on the main chain of the Rockies
and a portion of such wave sweeps owe,
! the eastern portions of Washington and
! Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and prob
ably Northern Arizona before it is sniff
GENTLY warmed to lose its original frig-
! idity and assimilate with our otherwise
mild temperature.