The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-18
MAY METEOROLOGY.
Observations in Kansas for the Month
by T. B. Jennings.

Weather Observer T. B. Jennings has
issued his official report for the month
of May. which gives some Interesting
data as to the unusual meteorological
conditions found in the records of the
month The report says:
During the past u years four Mays
have been cooler, six warmer and one
the same temperature as the present
May. the warmest May in that time be-
ing 69.3 degrees in 1885, and the coolest,
5S.5 degrees in 1892. A more uniform
distribution of rainfall, by divisions. &C.
CURED this month than is usual tie av-
erage for the western, being SO inches,
for the middle 5.S6 and for the eastern
division 7.2S inches. The rainfall this
month averages 6.2S over the state
May, 1892, averaged $50, the only May
on our records that even equaIed the
current month. The rainfall, in general
is greatest across the state from the
southwestern to the northeastern coun-
ties, more specifically the area of very
heavy rainfall & inches and ovArl OK
tends through Scott, sOuthWestWard
through Ford and Pratt into Harper
and Sumner, thence uhaaStward
through Sedgwick and Butler to the
eastern and northeastern counties; in
Ford and HOdgeman it is ten inches
in Kiowa and Pratt it is eleven inches,
ten inches in Harper and Atchson and
eleven inches in Franklin, Miami and
johnson. Dodge City received 1881,
AtchisOn 1882, Anthony 1888. Pratt
1120, Ottawa 11.S6, and OlAtha 11SS
The rainfall was less than four inches
northern half of Reno and southern
part of Rice and in Phillips, Smith, Ne
maha, and the northern portions of
Rocks, Osborne and Mitchell and
southern part of Ottawa, and less than
three inches in Jewell, Republic, Cloud,
and northern part of Ottawa. Some
phenomenally heavy showers occurred;
at Fort Scott on the 18th, LAP fell in 40
minutes, at Ness City on the 25th l. SO
in so minutes, and at Tanning on the
31st. 1.60 in As minutes. Some damage
n f1cfrN
damaging storms occurring on the goth,
one in the northern part of Wabaunsee
the hail being u inches in circumfer-
ence-and damaging grain, fruit and
windows, the other in the northwest
part of Sedgwick, the stones ranging
from u to Is inches in circumference,
riddling roofs and killing hogs and
young animals. Much loss by light
ming occurred, the days being the 1St,
18th, 18th, 18th. 2ist, and 31st, the fig
ures so far received with reports show
losses amounting to So, 339 for the seven
days while several of the reports fail to
give the value of property destroyed
On the 5th, snow fell in the central
counties of the western division from
two to four inches deep but rapidly
melted.
If the rainfall chart discloses unus-
ual conditions, no less so does the pre-
vaIling wind direction chart; line !
drawn from the northwest corner of |
DOniphan county southwest to the |
northeast corner of Meade practically
southerly, north of this line the pre- /
vailing winds are from the northeast, |
south of it from the south. TornadOes |
occurred on four days; on the 18th, in |
the northwestern part of Kingman, on |
the 18th, in Harvey on the goth. in the |
southern part of Greenwood and in the |
central and northern parts of McPher- /
son and the southeastern part of Sa- |
line, and on the 25th, in Morton; |
these all had the pendant funnel and |
were true tornadOes.
The rains interfered with farm work, |
except that during the second week |
farmers were enabled to do much work |
in the fields in the southern and west |
ern counties, and the fourth week in (
the eastern; much seed corn rotted in |
the ground early in the month, necessi-
tating replanting; by the eth, corn was
coming up far north as Mitchell and !
with wheat just beginning to
head in the extreme south, oats, fax
and grass growing slowly in the eastern
oats, barley, alfalfa and grass
in fine condition in the western; by The
18th, corn was coming up in the north
arn counties and wheat heading in the
southern, and the early wheat just be
ginning to head in the central oats |
grass, potatoes and gardens were much
improved; by the 21st, wheat was head
Ing as far north as the Smoky Hill and |
kaw river, was growing very rank, |
and in the southern counties had be- |
gun to show some red rust, corn fields !
were getting weedy, alfalfa ready to cut |
IN the south. grass growing rapidly,