The Portland daily press., 1897-01-20
THE RECORD BROKEN.
Signal Bureau Says Greatest Fall in
Temperature.

Lack of Snow This winter-soms statis-
tics Picked Up Regarding It-Indica-
tfons that a Dry Early Winter Gives
Heavy Falls of Snow in February and
March.
There has been coed deal Of discussion
as to whether the present winter is not
singular in its lack Of snow, and there
have been many ready to make the claim
that last winter was as noticeable for
lack of snow as this. This is not quite
true. Last winter the snow fall
up to January Both, amounted to
just thirteen and three-tenths inches.
but this snow fall didn't really begin
until the 9th of Decen Der, 1895, and
there were little spurts up to the 25th of
January, 1896, with the exception of
five inches in one storm between the 9th
and 14th December. On January 25th 1t
showed and sleeted all day, but most of
the precipitation melted. In February
and March lass year we got our heaviest
snowfalls, 1874 inches in February, and
had &c inches, the last snow fall coming
at $50 p. m. the evening Of April 7bh.
The largest snow fall in February was
five inches on the 18th, and in March,
4.6 inches on the 18th.
AS against this record, for 1s9s-97 thus
far we have had ten inches, all told, of
snow. OF this amount four inches fall
during last November and SIX inches
in December. So that notwith-
standing we have had bare sidewalks
most of the winter we have had within
three and three tenths' inches as much
snow as last year in the same time, and
with ten days more left In January-that
is to the 30th-to surpass it. 1t will be
seen that in 1886 the weight Of the
snow came in February and March.
The records of the department do not
show any instance where the pavemsnts
have been bare for SO long a time con-
tinuously, in the winter, nor do they
show any instance where there has been.
virtually, no snow for twenty days sue
oesslvely In January.
Comparison of the records shows that
III the winter Of 1895 November gave
g. inches snow, with greatest fall of
two inches on the 9th. December ILL
inches, with greatest fall 8-8 inches on
the 9th. January '95. 11.2 inches;
greatest fall 40 inches ON Goth February
90 inches; greatest fall inches on the
9Th. March, ILL inches, greatest fall A.
on the 2sth. April lilo inches. In 1893
"a in November two-tenths fell on the
18TH December 80. 8 inches; greatest fall
60 inches on the Sd. January. 1898, 1879
inches; greatest fall 11.8 on the Both.
February, 25.2 inches; greatest fall 11.b
inches on the 18th. March, 9. inches;
greatest fall inches on the 14th. April
Is. inches; greatest fall 6.7 inches on the
18th.
In 1S92-'93 in Novem Der, 90 inches fell
all after the 18th. December, 10 inches.
January 11.9 inches; GREATEST fall 3.8
iucbes On the 9th. February 500 inches;
greatest fall 1871 inches on the 22nd. and
10. 2 inches on the 18th. March inches;
grentsst fall 25 inches OH the 1st April,
1T inches; greatest fall rs inches on the
18th.
In 1922 in November trace. Deem
Der inches. January 1871 inches;
greatest y 2 inches on the 18th. Febru
airy, 1853 l. hes greatest fall inches on
the 10Th. March none to 10th and then
81 inches fell. April, none.
In 1890-91, in November trace. In
Decem Der 25.7 inches of which 1873
inches fell between the 4th and 18th.
January 18th, 10 inches and rest OF
month 10 inches more. February 1873
inches and up to the 18th, 1871 inches of
that amount fell. March. inches.
April, 2.6 inches.
1t may be of interest to know also that
the greatest fall of temperature was re-
corded yesterday. In twenty-four hours
the mercury fell fifty degrees When the
temperature has a fall from is degrees to
80 degrees it is cold wave, the severity
depending on tie fall. The mercury at
the signal station indicated 43 degrees
early Monday morning; spring like
weather. Yesterday morning at the cor
responding hour the mercury had fallen
by the signal bureau thermometer. to
degrees below zero, an unprecedented and
hitherto unregistered fall of fifty degrees.
In 1894, Decem Der 2Sd. there was fall
of 30 degrees. On January 18th, 1895,
%. s degrees. February Goth, 25.2 de-
grees. March 18th, 24.5 degrees. October,
l7.9 degrees, November 21st, % degrees.
December Sd, % degrees.
January 1st, 1896, fall Of 81 degrees.
February 18th, $50 degrees, when the
fall was from 10 degrees above to 1873 de-
Qrees below zero. March 2Sd, 81 degrees.
October 16 degrees. November Goth,