Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-03-16
IS THE CLIMATE oHANolNo7
In the Opinion of Weather Bureau Eek
pert, 1t 10 Not.

pert. 1t 10 Not.
The month Of January was marked In
portions of the United States by the
longest protracted cold season that has
been recorded since accurate observations
were begun by the Signal Service, TWEEN
ty-three years ago. This fact has given
rise, In many minds, to the question
whether the climate Is changing.
Prof. III. A. HaZen, of the Uaited States
Weather Bureau, discusses the question
In an ALE article In the Engineering
Magazine, In which he says:
From the 4th to the Goth of January
he temperature in Washington city was
Is degrees below the normal, and the
maximum, which on the average goes
below freezing but three times, went
above 1t but once, and then to only "a
degrees, during the same time. At Bis
marck, North Dakota, the temperature
was degrees above the normal. Thus
the Washington temperature relative
to that at Bismarck was % degrees
lower than usual. Many hold to the
theory that our cold comes fOm the
extreme Northwest, but this could hard
ly have been true In the case quoted. A
singular fact is that usually storms
going to the northwaId draw in the warm
south Wind and heat up the air, but that
condition has'apparently had the oppo-
site effect this year, and this Is due to
the southW ard trend of the high areas,
which has given an abnormal cold season
to the south and cold south winds to the
north.
1t is probable that our upper atmos-
phere has been greatly cooled to enor-
nous heights. January and February,
1876, were the coolest months expert
enced on Mount Washington (6300 feet
high, and they were also the
coolest months at Burlington, Ver-
mont, near the base of the noun
tain. There has been no extensive and
intense cold wave this season as we have
had in one or two years before, but there
has been steady cold. The high areas
and storms have had very great veloci-
ty, and it seems reasonable to conclude
that this has tended to prevent heating
from convection currents set up at the
earth's surface, and also the rapid mo-
ton has set up worthless which have
caused stirring up of the warmer lower
air with the colder above. 1t is the gen.
eral opinion that of late our winters have
greatly moderated, though some believe
to the contrary. The records do not show
any very great change, the average tenn
perature in ten year periods having re-
NAMED constant. We are more likely to
remember the great blizzard of March
1888, than the great warmth of 1880.
Some have thought that the rainfall of
our western country has gradually in
creased since its settlement was begun.
Fiue crops now grow where it is thought
that none could have been produced fifty
years ago. In this case, however, it
seems more than probable that the rain
fill has been kept in the ground by the
tilling of the soil, instead of running off
at once to the rivers; also, that the
growth of plants has kept the air more
humid, which has been favorable to veg
citation. 1t has been suggested that the
extension of railroads has permitted a
distribution of electricity, and has at
tracted thunder and other violent storms
to the western country. One person who
held this theory visited town two years
after tornado and, seeing the railroad,
promulgated this view. Unfortunately,
however, it was shown subsequently, that
the railroad was there at the time of the
tornado. The opinion has been ex-
pressed that the building up of blocks
and the great quantity of heat from
chimneys in large cities must moderate
the cold. 1t is evident that the winds
would be much broken up in large city,
but It is not probable mat wefi-t--7
posed thermometer would show any ap-
probable difference between the city and
country.