The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-24
THE CLIMATE OF UTAH.
One of the Most Enjoyable in the
World.
Sunny Skies, Absence of Excessive Pre-.
cipitation and an Entire Lack of the
Blizzard Noticeable

The climate of Utah is a theme on
which volumes have already been written,
and it has not yet been worn threadbare.
There are those who claim that it is
s'the IDEAL, and they do not have very
much trouble in substantiating their
assertions.
George N. Salisbury, director of the
weather bureau, says:
Climate may be properly considered as
those features OF the weather which affect
organic life, more particularly human
life This effect is more decided in GER
tain regions than others, according to
situation. The situation OF Utah in this
respect is fortunate.
Extreme variability in a climate makes
it extreme v unpleasant, or perhaps nearly
unendurabie, though mankind can ac
custom Itself to endure almost anything.
While from the mountainous nature OF It's
surface Utah has many degrees and vari-
ations of climate, that Of the habitable
~Ortion is uniform enough to be very en-
q ,rable.
Climate depends upon topography, as
we'll as upon latitude, distance from the
S q and proximity to the track of storms.
Utah's climate, which is both arid and
agreeable, depends, aside from its lati-
tude, for he most part upon the modify
ing influence OF lis topography upon the
atmospheric movements that have come
from the direction of the Pacific
coast. The sunny skies, the alb
sence of excessive precipitation and
the lack of the bowling blizzard
are all accounted for by the above state
ment. and it once thoroughly fixed in the
mind we can readily find reason why the
climate of Utah is arid, and later on, why
it is agreeable also. Its geographical po
sitiOn is such that for large portion of
he year the great atmospheric storms are
sweeping so far to the northward and east
ward that they have little or no effect IN
producing precipitation. During the re-
mainder Of the year, corresponding TO the
Hwet'' season OF the Pacific coast states |
the geneia al storm track is in lowe L til !
tude, ard some even pass directly over US,
but the high mountain ranges lar to the
westward have precipitated most Of the
storms moisture, leaving US but gentle |
showers in the valleys, while the mountain
lols collect their caps of snow, which
furnish the certain water supply for the
following season. So, though we have a
rwet" season, it is not very wet, for the
precipitation in the inhabited districts of
the territory only ranges from i've to
twenty inches annually. AT Salt Lake
city, which viii give a general idea OF the
precipitation in the Salt Lake valley, it is
sixteen and half inches annually. 1t is
greatest along the Wasatch chain and
ever the plateaus in the central and
southern part. Here observations have
Keen few, and statistics are meagre. OBJ
scrvations under the direction of the gov
eminent have recently been begun, which
VIII eventually secure this knowledge.
we have seen that the climate is essen
,ially arid. And located in the middle of
the lemperate zone, It's valleys and pla-
teaus from four thousand to nine thous-
and feet in altitude, and protected by high
mountain ranges, Utah naturally has
mild and salubrious weather.
The general absence of storms gives
clear skies and a dry atmosphere, while |
the tonic effect OF q high altitude is we'll
known.
Solar and terrestrial radiation both play
a very prominent part II making up Utah |
weather. On account OF the general alb
Sence of storm areas, sunshine during the /
day goes on interruptedly; for the same |
reason, as soon as the sun gets low, radia-
ton from the earth goes on at a rapid |
rate and the temperature falls decidedly
until morning, giving a considerable
diurnal range. The feature is very
pleasant one in the hot season, for bed
clothing is never oppressive, and the
nights are perfect for sleeping.
As reg ards temperature, we may notice
three distinct regions iniUtah: First the
valleys on the eastern side of the Great
salt Lake, with a mean annual tempera-
ture Of 90 degrees to slightly above; sec
ond, 1.-THE great plateau region, with an
annual mean below 90 degrees: and third;
the extreme southwest portion of the
territory, with an annual mean from 80
TO so sgrees.
a. -. George, in the latter region, the
summer temperature sometimes reaches
as high as 110 degrees in the hottest day;
on very few winter days does the temper
ature fall below the freezing point, and
never below zero; Is degrees is the lowest
minimum in the last three years. 1t oc-
there are most delightful, and well
a apted to persons in delicate health.