Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-08-04
ALASKA.
The Weather Burcan Gives intse s.tine
Information IN Regard TO IN. Climate
OF That Country

OF That Country.
WASHINGTON, July 3L-Und the Iii.
rection of Secretary of Agriculture
wilson, Chief Moore. of the weather
bureau. has made public statement
IN regard To the climate OF Alaska
Ia tins statement MIR. Moore says.
Inc climates OF the coast and the lu-
terror % Alaska are unlike IN many
respects and tbs differences are M
tenSlhed ia this A. perhaps IN few other
countries 10y exceptional physical ,on-
otionS The fringe Of islands that
separates the main land irom the Pa
cine ocean from, DIXON sound north.
ward and also strip OF the
main land Tor possibly twenty
miles back from the sea. following
the sweep ui the coast a. a. curves To
th" uorthWvstw ard To the western ca
trenny of Alaska form u distinct
clmatic division which may to- termed
temperate Alaska. The tcmueraturc
rarely tails To zero, wiutcr does not
set IN until December aud l., the
last of May the SNOW has Disappeared
except GA the mountains.
The mrau winter temperature of
Sitka ~ 3e.h but little less than that of
Washington u. {.
The rainfall of temperate Alaska Is
notorious the world over. not only as
regards the quantity that tails, but
also as 10 the manner 81 IT. falling.
viz la long and iucessan, rains aud
dri>kles. Cloud aui toy naturally
abound, there being on an average tut
G6 clear days IA year
North of the Aleutiau islands the
coast climate becomes more rigorous
IN winter tut IN summer the differ
cnce Is much less marked.
The climate of the interior. including
in that designation practically all OF
the country except "A narrow fringe of
coastal margin, and the territory bc.
fore referred 10 as temperate Alaska.
- one of extreme rigor IN winter. with
brief but relatively hot summer
especially when the Sky Is free, from
cloud. In the klondyke region IN mid
winter the sun rises from 80 To 10
a. M, and sets from TO 3 u. m. the
total length OF daylight being about
four hours Remembering that the
sun rises but "A few degrees above the
horizon, aud that IL is wholly obScurcd
on great many days. the character
of the winter months may easily bc
imagined.
We are indebted to the United States
coast and gcodctic survey for "A series
of six months observations on the
Yukon, not far from the site of the
present gold discoveries The obscrv-
atoms were made with standard in
strumcnts and are wholly reliable.
The mean temperatures OF the months
of October, 1850, To April. 1890. both in
elusive, are a. follows.
October. 80 degrees; November. X dc.
grecs, Dccem her ~ degrees below zero;
January. l. below zero; February. "a
below zero, March. Gabovc zero, April
20 above zero
The daily mean temperature fell aud
remained below the freezing point Ci2
dcgrecsD from November T. 1859. To
April II, 1890. thus giving lGs days as
the length of the closed season OF 1889
30, assuming that outdoor operations
are controlled 10y temperature only.
The lowest temperatures registered
during the winter were: Thirty-two
degrees below zero in November. a
below in Dccem Der, 10 hclow in .Ianu-
airy, 81 below in February. - below in
March and 20 below in April
The greatest continuous cold occur
red in February. 1890, when the daily
mean for five consecutive days was a
degrees below zero
Greater cold than that here noted
has been experienced in the United
states for n very short time, hut never
has il continued so very cold for so
long time. In the interior of Alaska
the winter sets in as early as Septcm-
/ Der, when snow storms may toe eN-
pected in the mountains aud passes
/ lleadway during one of these storms
/ - impossible and the traveller who IS
/ ovcriaLcn by one Of them j. indeed
/ fortunate II he escapes with his life.
/ SNOW storms OF great severity may oc-
cur m any month from Scptem Ter to
/ May inclusive.
/ J I've changes Of temperature from
/ winter 10 summer are rapid owing To
/ the great increase in the length Of the
| day. lu May the sun rises at about
a. M and sets about . p ~. Ia June,
~ rises about 100 in the morning and
sets at about 1880 p m, giving about
20 hours OF daylight and dinusc twi-
light the remainder Of the time
The mean summer Temperature in
the interior doubtless ranges between
80 and 20 degrees. according TO clcva.
ton being highest in the middle and
lower Yukon valleys.