Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-16
DECEMBER WEATHER
The Review Issued by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS and TIE CROPS
Record Shows No Severe Storms
in the Month.
EXTENT OF THE FROSTS

/ IA a l. IL ~ L VI L II Z NJ . i .
1.-THE Monthly Weather Review" for De-
cember. 1897, has just been issued by the
Department of Agriculture, prepared under
| the direction of Willis l.. Moore, chief of
| the weather bureau. The review contains
| much information under the following
| heads: storm Warnings and Weather Fore
casts" 'Climatology of the Month";" "Cli-
mate and Crop Service;" River and Flood
Service 1t also contains a number of
charts and meteorological tables. 1t is
| based on 2,916 reports from stations occu-
pied by regular and voluntary observers
Classified as follows: LAT from weather bu-
reau stations, numerous special river sta
lions, ~ from post surgeons, received
through the surgeon general, United States
army; 1851 from voluntary observers 81
received through the Southern Pacific Rail-
way Company, % from life-saving stations
received through the superintendent United
States life-saving service; 81 from Cana
dian stations; 20 from Mexican stations; Z
from Jamaica, West Indies. International
simultaneous observations are received
from few stations and used, together with
trustworthy newspaper extracts and special
reports
No very severe or destructive storms oc-
| CURED during the month, the report states
Injurious Weather Conditions,
The injurious weather conditions of most
marked note were the frosts and freezing
weather that occurred in the citrus fruit
districts of California the I'd and Sd and
from the 10th to the I'D inclusive. On the
former dates the temperature fell to con-
siderably below freezing far south as
Los Angeles and Riverside counties, but the
injury to the fruit interests was probably
N in Of fr0cf
sued by the weather bureau in every IN
stance the morning of the day preceding
their occurrence.
East of the Rocky mountains cold
weather with rain and snow prevailed the
I'd, Sd, 4th and 9Th. Freezing temperatures
occurred as far south as Texas, the gulf
coast and LouisiaI a.
The remarkably low temperature of
forty-three degrees below zero was re-
corded at Havre the morning of the I'd.
Cloudy weather with occasional rain or
river from the Sth to the 10Th Heavy
fog interfered with navigation on the great
lakes on the 9th and on the north Atlantic
on the 10th.
A Cold Wave.
On the 14th a cold wave appeared north
Of Montana, which gradually spread east
ward and saAthward with rain, changing
to sleet and snow on it's front. The cold
wave was preceded by a rain and snow
storm throughout Kansas, Nebraska and
Missouri on the 18th and 14th, which con-
tiued for about eighteen hours. BY the
morning Of the 10th the front of the cold
wave had reached northern Texas Okla
homa, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois: it
was accompanied in many cases by a thun-
derstorm. The temperature fall was quite
sharp being as much as 40 degrees in
nVe hours, in some instances Several
deaths from cold were reported Much
damage, especially 10 electric wires, trees
ana shrubbery, was done by the rain and
sleet storm throughout northern Texas,
Arkansas, western Tennessee and Missou-
II the 18th and goth. 1t had been raining
OF showing throughout this region since
the !1th and at many places the rain froze
as 1t fell, forming a thick coating of ice
over exposed objects. The ice layer so
formed was greatly augmented by the
heavy fan of sleet that occurred on the
night of the 10th. Wires broke down under
the load, trees were denuded OF their limbs
and, according to press dispatches at least
three lives were lost by falling limbs
On the 3lst severe rain and snow storm
passed over the upper Ohio valley and the
middle states. the greatest financial loss
being sustained in Pittsburg.
The greatest fogginess during the month
occurred from the 9th to the 18th in the
lake region on the north Atlantic coast
Unreasonable Temperatures.
The month was generally colder than
usual. Unreasonable temperatures, with
Aedsy Aost IN exposed places, occurred in
southern California and Arizona the 80,
end again the 18th. 10th, 21st and 22d, the
could of the last-named period being the
most severe Of the month. The cold wave
or the 3d-5th, east of the Rocky mountains
oVerspread the plains region and Texas
moving eastward from the latter point into
Louisiana by the morning of the 5th. Snow
and sleet prevailed over the interior of
Louisiana. The temperature in these re-
gions fell to the lowest point reached dur
ing the month. The first killing frost and
Ice of the season at New Orleans were OBJ
served the morning of the 5th. The 18th
an area of high pressure appeared north of
Montana. 1t gradually spread southwark
and eastward, reaching the middle Missis-
sippi valley by the morning of the 10th. the
Texas coast by the morning of the nth
and the north Atlantic coast during the
18th. The temperature gradients in front
OF the advancing cold were rather Steep
and the advent of colder weather was
marked by sharp squall winds, with rain
sleet or snow. While there were no severe
cold waves during the month, there were
frequent alterations from warm to cold,
or from rain to snow and sleet.
At the end of the month freezing temper
atures had occurred In all parts of the
country, except on the immediate Pacific
coast. the delta of the Mississippi and the
Florida peninsula In the last-named light
to heavy and killing frosts occurred over
the northern half Of the peninsula in ex-
posed places.