The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-08

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the northeast winds to continue In this
vicinity all day Tuesday, and by the
middle of the afternoon light raip
began again due to the second storm.
This second, or Florida storm, had
Its starting point far to the eastward
| OF the first or Gulf storm, and it's CEN
tre probably did not at any time touch
the mainland.
The course of the secoud storm was
along the Gulf Stream, practically
parallel to the coast. The above out
lines the first part of the combination,
and would in the summer time have
given this section only precipitation in
the form of rain.
OF conditions, and to which is due the
moisture of rain, sleet aud snow which
marks the unusual character Of this
storm, was vast area of high baro-
meter with unusually low temperatures
covering almost the entire continent,
excepting only the southeastern por-
tions of the United States, and inGlud-
ing South Carolina, Georgia and Flor
loa. AS has already been stated, the
prevailing winds were from the north
east and north since Saturday night,
howing into first the Gulf and then
the Florida storm, and gradually lower
the degree of cold from whence the
winds came.
The foregoing explains the pheno-
mena OF snow and sleet SO early in the
season, which had it come two or
three months later, would not have
been at ell remarkable.
To explain why such storm was
possible so early would require q re-
view OF the weather OF tho entire
month of November just ended, and
behind that the more difficult and i'm
possible question why November ex-
hibited the weather it did over the
entire North American continent, for
tnc latter question is beyond the ken
OF meteoroogy in the present st .ge
OF its advancement. However, the
accurate observations of the weather
bureau afford basis of comparison
between the past months weather and
that of the previous years weather,
aud also enables certain deductions to
be made as to the results ,thmt are
likely to follow certain types of con
ditions. BY this means the possibility
and more than that, the probability Of
the present weather can be explained
Briefly stated, November exhibited
abnormal weather over the entire
range of observation, especially during
the latter portion OF the month. The
climate and crop bulletin OF tho weather
bureau for the month of November,
1876, gives q terse summary Of the
temperature conditions, as fol ows
November, 1896, has been q month
OF very exceptional temperature con.
dltlOns. The most noteworthy
feature of the month was the exccp-
tionally low temperatures which pre-
vailed almost continuously throug hout
the month from the upper Mississippi
valley westward to the north Pacific
coast, giving most remarkable depar-
turc from the normal, the deficiency
being greatest over Montana and the
western portions Of the Dakotas, where
1T ranged from Is to u degrees per
day throughout the month. Over the
entire region from the north Pacific
coast to the upper Mississippi valley,
the average daily deficiency gen
orally exceeded degrees per day. On
the middle Pacific coast, over the cen
tral plateau region and middle Rocky
Mountains slope, the month averaged
colder than usual, but the deficiency in
temperature was generally slight"
Extreme low temperatures and cx-
treme high barometer readings are
generally coinc!dent. II other words.
when the barometer pressure is high
the temperature is low. In tho sum
mcr type OF weather there exists an
area ofquite stationary high barometer
far to the northward of tho borders
OF the United States, and storms gen
orally form near, when it is remember
ed that continental distances are con-
sidered, the southern edgc moves to
the southwark, further south during
some years than on others, and consc-
gently the area Of probable storm
development moves also further south
If this deduction is true it should
follow that during the November just
past, especially during the latter
portion of the month, the storms of
the north should have developed in
the middle and southern Rocky Noun
tain slopes instead of the northern
slope and the British northwest. An
examination Of the daily weather maps
for the past two weeks shows this to
have been the case. This answers
brie fly why we are experiencing mid
winter weather fully Il month or two
In advance OF the time it is usual to
expect it.
AS the reason for the early south
ward movement of the high area is
not known, it is impossible to uccur
rately predict,its continuance, or to say
positively that the winter will be one
Of unusual severity, or that the advent
Ut spring will be early or late.
1t Is not even known whether the
solution OF the problem involves ter
restial or solar Investigation, but the
first manifestation of the answer will
be seen in the northwestern portions of
the United States and British America.
j. w. BAUER,
Observer Weather Bureau