The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-16
ALL ABOUT THE WEATHER.
The Big Rainstorm of Saturday Had
Been Announced.
Observer Barwick DiscourseS on
Weather Topics-Lieutenant Fin
ley's Representations.

True to the prediction of Lieutenant
Finley, and which was thrown to the
breezes before the gaze of all, at the
southeast corner of Fourth and X streets,
Saturday morning, which indicated that
occasional showers would occur in the
twenty-four hours ending at II NJ. yester-
day, several showers took place, and
they turned out to be big showers. too.
fright here,' says Observer Barwick,
"I want to say to the people who so
anxiously inquire of me in reference to
the coming weather that if they will pro-
cure the cards of explanation of the
weather signal flags. and consult them,
providing they are properly holsted
(Which, by the way, l am sorry TO say,
is not always the case, they will find that
Lieutenant Finley's predictions will be
verified nine times out of ten. OF course,
his predictions are for this city and vicin-
ity, within radius of 10 or % miles.
when / am asked in reference to the
coming weather, | have not the data to
judge from, for l receive only about six
or eight reports, which are all in the
north, while Lieutenant Finley receives
reports twice daily from Arizona, New
Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, the Dako-
tas, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Ore
gon, Utah, Nevada, and all over Califor-
MIA, which enables him to detect the por-
ton of a storm that IS likely 10 bring
clouds, rain, warmer or colder weather, be
1t from the front, sides, or back OF the
center of a StOrm-trough or low baromet-
rical area. Therefore let the dear public
gaze upon the floating bunting and guess
the coming weather, or rather learn what
is in store for them, meteorologlcally
speaking, Tor the succeeding tWenty-fOur
hours. Let them go there and get their
cards of explanation, and all will be well.
The great rainstorm Of Saturday night
and yesterday morning was among the
heaviest that has been precipitated in rec
ord OF fourteen years. From its beginning
on Saturday night up to A. NJ. yesterday
there was measured 80 OF an inch, and
from A. NJ. to the time it ceased raining
there was SO of an inch measured, max
ing l.l6 inches.
1.-The Weather Bureau records from
1873 to date show the following heavy
rains in any consecutive twenty-four
hours when it reached and exceeded one
inch. The first we find was on the 9TH of
May, 1889, when there was l.94 inches
measured; the next was the storm of
yesterday, when LIS inches was meas
ured. The greatest monthly precipita-
ton for May in the fourteen years past
was 3.25 inches lin 1889, which was an
extraordinary May, but all of it fell be-
fore the 10th. The records Of forty years
or more back show that the month of
May is good for more or less rain, there
having been but one year with no rain
May, 1873, and five that gave but a
sprinkle. The average for the month, as
obtained from a record of over forty
years, is .6S of an inch. The following
years gave over two inches for May: 1850,
249 inches; 1866, 2:25 inches; 1888, =. IS
inches; 1889, 3.25 inches, and our present
cool month to-date has tipped the measure
with Z:3S inches.
THE rainfall for the present season
now toots up 1918 inches as against 1852
inches to an equal date last year. This
season is, therefore, "A (or less than half
an inch behind last season, and we have
vet sixteen days to hear from. The last
rain was warm one.
The highest and lowest temperatures
yesterday were 6S' and so, with fresh
southerly winds and a partly clouded
sky.
The barometrical readings at 5 A. NJ.
and p. NJ. were 1886 and 3OO7 inches.
respectively, showing the barometer to
be rising quite steadily and rapidly. and
it may be too rapidly for good and set
tied weather."