Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-02
WEATHER OF TWELVE MONTHS
Forecaster Welsh Explains What We Went
Through With.
LAST YEAR HAD MANY PGCUllARlTlES
Figures Make nm Excellent showing,
However Disngrecnblc Personal
Experience May Have Bccn--
Bureau We'll Equipped.

Omaha did not have the best kind OF
weather during the year just past, In fact,
tho weather of 1897 was OF a particularly
nasty kind, since it came in chunks and
lunches
In the first place it was a pretty hot year.
The average normal temp rature during the
years in which the local weather office has
b=sn in existence has been little less than
40 degrees. The mean temperature of 1897
was more than degree above this average,
being about 81 degrees The most disagree
able part of the weather, however was found
in the sudden changes of temperature. One
day 1t would be way up in the hundreds
and then again II would drop down twenty
and thirty degrees. This continued through
the summer and fall In the early months of
the fall, particularly, man could hardly
keep cool in his shirt sleeves on one day and
on the next he would find an overcoat com
Portable.
The highest temperature was in July, the
mean temperature of which month was 70
degrees. The hottest dav was July 81, when
the mercury bumped itself up to 102. which,
however, was four degrees less than the rec
ord, LOG degrees, in 1894 The coolest month
of the year was January, which had an aver
age mean temperature OF 2l degrees. The
coolest day was January 20, when the mer-
curry slumped to l3 degrees below, but this
again was far below the record. The cOldest
day on record occurred some years back,
when the mark of 80 degrees below zero was
reached. The range of temperature in 1897
was consequently lis degrees. Thirty light
days of the year registered above 80 degrees.
The year all around, however was potter
than 1896 for in that year there were only
fifteen days when the mercury went higher
than so degrees and the highest mark touched
was 96 degrees above zero.
The wear dry year, although II was
not generally considered such by the public.
The precipitation was only 2l.39 inches
which is 1899 inches below the average
| Most of this rain fell during the grain sea
| son, so that the crops were not affected by
| the deficiency. The grea est rainfall in any
| consecutive twenty-four hours occurred on
| April % and 90, when 1.47 inches fell. The
| year did itself proud in the snow line. how.
| ever. In the twelve months 32.0 inches fell
| which is more than double the fall in 1896
and the fall in 1895. The biggest part Of
| this snowfall came in December when 17.t
inches of it would have been piled up hat
it fallen at the same time. Precipitation
in measurable quantities fell on 107 days
of the year Thunderstorms occurred or
thirty-seven days. During the year there
were 141 clear days 129 partly cloudy day!
and ninety-ive cloudy days.
The highest wind velccity was reached oil
July o. when a zephyr from the southwes
travelled at the rate Of forty-three miles al
hour. The prevailing direction OF the win
during the year was southeast.
The Weather bureaus local office is nov
equipped with all kinds of practicable weathe
apparatus in existence. There is self
recording thermograph, which gives con
tinuous record of the temperatures a self
recording rain gauge, which registers tn
rainfall and the rate every minute; elec
tic self-recording instrument which tell
the wind velocity and the direction; ma
chine giving a continuous record of tn
barometric pressure, Photographic sunshin
machine and minor acparatus.
During the past year was introduced tn
system of issuing daily weather cards upo
which the forecast of the day is given. Tines
are distributed early every morning to som
400 merchants in order that they may kno7
what kind of weather they will have durin
the day. About 270 weather maps have ais
been delivered daily in the city and vicnit!