New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-26
WEATHER IN CALIFORNIA.
WHY IMPROVED FORECASTS MAY BE
EXPECTED SOON
1 NEW MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORY. OVERLOOK
ING THE GOLDEN GATE. GIVES HINTS
OF COLD WAVES. HOT NORTH
Frs AND FOGS

A new station has been established tempo
rariIy in the vicinity Of San Francisco by the
United States Weather Bureau, and from the
preliminary report made by Mr.. Harmon the
official in charge. it seems probable that Its work
will prove exceptionally valuable to the fruit
growers OF California
Those who are familiar with the topography
Of the Golden Gate are aware that TINS mario"
strait separates two peninsulas which hc''Se
San Francisco Bay. The city OF san franciSco
Is built on the northern extremity of the south
ern point. The new observatory STANDS OH the
other peninsula eight or ten miles north OF the
Golden Gate. Its special feature Is It's eIeVa''oh.
1t has been erected on an abrupt peak. Mount
Tamalpais 2.J92 feet high at the eastern end OF
a range extending across the peninsula From
the site OF the observatory the surface OF the
mountain descends steeply to sea lever on the
northern. eastern and southern sides
There have been In the past meteorological
stations on Pixies Peak and Mount Washington
whose records could be compared with those OBJ
tanned simultaneously at points near the base
Denver in the one instance and Portland In the
other-and interesting general laws deduced
from the differences. But in both cases the high
level obscrvatOries were mile or TWO aboVc 'he
low-evel station Between San Francisco ana
the summit of Mount Tamapais the difference
In altitude is scarcely half a mile Nevertheless
several significant comparisons are thus made
possible
For instance in the summer the heated condi-
ton Of some OF the interior villages causes
strong indraught of air from the sea some IDEA OF
the location and depth Of the atmospheric sheet
thus sucked inward may be inferred from the
fact that almost never does an afternoon WIND
from the west attain a velocity of twenty miles
on Mount Tamalpais when 1t is reported from
the adjacent city. Then. again. layer Of fog
frequently covers the sea and the valleys. with
out reaching up To the new observatory Dur
ing the short period which had elapsed since
Mr. Harmon took charge San Francisco report
I'd n sky obscured on fifteen OCCASIONS while the
peak was Immersed in fog only five times.
Thirdly. out Of fifteen occasions when Northern
California experienced showers. they we're pre-
coded at an interval Of from twelve to forty
eight hours by high winds at the mountain sta
ton-winds strong enough to register a total
movement Of 80 or 400 miles inside Of twenty
four hours
The prediction OF great changes in temperature
in the Pacific Coast States particularly in Cali
fornia IL A harder task than II Is on the Allan
tic seaboard The conditions which produce hot
and cold waves are well defined on the weather
maps out in the heart of the continent. two or
three days before any marked rise or fall 81
temncrature is experienced here in the East.
But there are telegraph stations out in the
Pacific Ocean which can give timely notice o!
what Is coming to Portland and san Francisco.
In the case OF two sharp cold waves which
occurred early this fall. Mr.. Harmon received