The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-31
FAR ALASKA'S WEATHER
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS IN THE GOLD
FIELDS OF THE NORTH.
Statement from Chief MoOre-Mean
Temperature for Five Days, AT
Degrees Below Zero.

WASHINGTON. July So.-Under the di
rection Of Secretary of Agriculture Wilson,
Chief Moore, of the Weather Bureau, has
made public statement IN regard to the
climate OF Alaska in this statement Mr..
Moore says:
1.-The climates Of the coast and the in
terror of Alaska are unlike IN many re-
spects, and the differences are intensified
in this as, perhaps, in few other Countries
by exceptional physical conditions. The
fringe of islands that separates the main
land from the Pacific ocean from i)!ACn
sound northward and also a strip Of the
mainland for possibly twenty miles Rack
from the sea, following lie sweep Of the
coast as it curves to the northwestward,
to the western extremity of Alaska, form
distinct climatic division which may be
termed temperate Alaska. The tempera-
ture rarely falls to zero. Winter dues rot
set in until Dec. l, and by the last of May
the snow has disappeared except on the
mountains. The mean winter temperature
of Sitka is 32.5, but little less than that of
Washington, d. c.
THE rainfall of temperate Alaska is
notorious the world over, not only as re-
CARDS the quantity that falls, but also to
the manner of it's falling, viz, in long and
lncessant rains and drizZles. Cloud and fog
naturally abound, there being on an aver
age but sixty-six clear days in the year.
North of the Aleutian islands, the coast
climate becomes more rigorous in winter,
but in summer the difference is much less
marked.
"The climate of the interior, including
in that designation practically all of the
country except narrow fringe of coast
margin and the territory before referred
to as temperate Alaska, is one of extreme
rigor in winter. with brief but relatively
hot summer, especially when the sky is
free from cloud. In the Klon1ike region in
midwinter, the sun rises from $3.50 to 10 a.
M, and sets from TO 3 p. m, the total
length of daylight being about f1ur hours.
Remembering that the san rises hut a few
degrees above the horizon and that it is
wholly obscured on a great many days,
the character of the winter months may
easily be imagined. We are indebted to the
United states coast and geodetic survey for
a series of six months observations on the
Yukon. not far from the site of the present
gold discoveries. The observations were
made with standard instruments, and are
wholly reliable.
'The mean temperatures of the month of
October 1889. to April 1870, both inclusive: 5
FS fooTS pecemSeT b beoT
January. IL below zero February Is below
zero; March above zero; April, 20 above
zero. The daily mean temperature fell and
remained below the freezing point G22 de
grees) from Nov. 3. 1889, to April q, 1890.
thus giving 16S days as the length of the
closed season of 1sS9-9O, assuming that out
door operations are controlled by temper
ature only.
''The lowest temperatures registered
during the winter were: Thirty-two de-
grees below zero in November; AZ below in
December, SO below in January, 80 below
in February. 45 below in March. and 26
below in April The greatest continuous
cold occurred In February $780, when the
daily mean for five consecutive days was
AZ degrees below zero Greater cold than
that here noted has been experienced in
the United States for very short time
hut never has it continued so very cold
for so long a time.
I'm the interior of Alaska the winter sets
in as early as September. when snow
storms may be expected in the mountains
and passes. Headway during one of these
storms is impossible and the traveller who
is overtaken by one of them Is indeed for
tunate if he secapes with his life. Snow
storms of great severity NAV occur in any
month from September to May, inclusive
The changes of temperature from winter to
summer are rapid owing to the great in
crease in the length Of day. In May the
sun rises at about a m, and sets about
Q n m In June Il rises about 1:30 in the
morning and sets about 1890 p. m. Civ
ing about twenty hours of daylight and
diffusing the twilight the remainder of the
time The mean summer temperature in
the interior doubtless ranges between go
and 20 degrees. according to elevation be-
ing highest in the middle and lower Yukon
valleys"