Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-31
CHIEF MOORE WRITES ABOUT THE
WEATHER IN Alaska
SIXTY DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
DAILY MEAN FOR FIVE CONSECC-
TIVE DAYS, AZ BELOW.
In the TIOndike Region the Winter
Days Are but Four Hours Long
Part of Alaska, Along the
Coast. Has n Temper
ate Climate.

Washington, July 30.-Under the direction
Of Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson, Chief
Moore. Of the weather bureau. has made
public a statement in regard to the eli
mate Of Alaska. In this statement Mr.
Moore says:
The climates Of the coast and the In
terror OF Alaska are unlike in many re
spects and the differences are intenslhed
in this as. perhaps. in few other countries
by exceptional physical conditions. Inc
fringe Of islands that separates the main
land from the Pacific ocean from Dixon
sound north and also a strip OF the main
land for possibly twenty miles back from
the sea- following the sweep OF the coast
as it curves to the nOrthTestward TO the
western extremity Of Alaska. form a dis
tinct climatic division, which may be
termed temperate Alaska The tcmpera-
ture rarely falls TO zero; winter docs not
set in until December 1. and by the last
OF May the snow has disappeared. except
on the mountains. The mean winter tenn
perature of Sitka is 325. but little less than
that Of Washington. D. c.
THE rainfall of temperate Alaska IS no
torious the world over, not only as re-
CARDS the quantity that falls, but also az
TO the manner of its falling, viz: in long
and incessant rains and drizzles. Cloud
and fog naturally abound. there being on
an average 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 a narrow fringe of coastal
margin, and the territory before referred TO
as temperate Alaska is one of extreme rig
or in winter, with a brief but relatively hol
summer. especially when the SKY Is iree
sIn the IIondike region. in midwinter.
the sun rises from $50 to 10 a m. ana sets
from to P, p m fdIs tne tG5SI 4nrs senfsn fRemember
ing that the sun rises but a few degrees
above the horizon and that 1t Is wholly oD-
secured on a great many days. the character
of the winter months may easily be imaS-
ined. o..
coast and geodetic survey for series OF SIX
months observations on the Yukon, not far
from the site of the present gold dlscoVefleS;
The observations were made with stah1aId
/ Instruments and are wholly reliable. The
mean temperatures Of the months from Oc-
tober. 1889 to April, 1890. both inclusive, are
| as follows: October, 90 deg; November,
deg december III deg. below zero; Janu-
arv II deg. below zero; February. 10 deg.
below zero; March. deg. above; April. %
deg above. The daily mean temperature
I feIl and remained below the freezing point
/ C32 deg.) from November 4, 1Ss9, TO April ::
! 1890 thus giving 16S days as the length OF
the closed season of 1SS9-90, assuming that
/ outdoor operations are controlled by tenn
perature only.
THE lowest temperatures registered dur
/ ing the winter were: % degrees below zero
I I'm November; AZ below in December; 81
I below in January; So below in February ;
l A. below in March, and 26 below in April.
! "The greatest continuous cold occurred
Z in February. 1890. when the daily mean for
FIVE consecutive days was a degrees below
1 zero.
| Greater cold than that here noted has
been experienced in the United States for
! a very short time. but never has II con-
I tirued so very cold for so long time
| "In the interior Of Alaska, the winter
sets in as early as September. when snow
storms may ne expected in the mountains
! and passes. Headway during one OF those
| storms is impossible and the traveller who
/ Is overtaken by one OF them is indeed
| fortunate IL he escapes with his life"