Evening star., 1901-04-10
MARCH WEATHER IN APRIL
REVERSAL OF THE CONDITIONS OR.
DINARY IN THIS SECTION.
Warrington the Center of Low BarO-
From Two Directions.

with April showers In March and
March winds in April things seem to be
all awry with the weather these days" re-
marked lady shopper in an avenue car
this morning, and her sentiments were
heartily echoed by all her fellow passen-
gers.
The first year of the new century has
found, sure enough, in Washington,
rather queer arrangement Of weather con-
ditions, entirely at odds with what custom
and history have led one to expect. The
days of April that once were balmy have
been, since the month was born, the equal
in blow and bluster Of anything of the
kind ever boasted by proud March. King
Boreas has, for this year at least, changed
the date of his reign. postponing from
March to April the time of his heroic
efforts to discomfort people abroad in the
land and transform them from staid pedes-
trians into sprinters of first degree, new
spring hats being the goal Of their athletic
ambitions.
Since the night Of April Washington has
been the center of low barometric pressure,
and air currents from the chill lake regions
have swept and swirled about the capital
with relentless persistency, retarding spring
and making outdoor life anything but pleas
ant. The present Is the fifth consecutive
day that the winds have blown at a velocity
an hour. There have been no remarkable
flights in the velocity-just steady blow
and buffeting. The continuance Of the gales
flying through the city Is described as re-
marka BILE for this season of the year. There
Is relief in sight, however and the weather
conditions arc so changing, 1t is stated at
the weather bureau, as to assure dimin-
ishng of the winds tonight and more pleas
ant weather tomorrow. A rain area Is on
the map and is advancing in this direction.
being due about Friday but it is believed
there is little wind combined with the moist
ure.
Effects ON the Potomac.
One result of the continuance of the north
west winds has been to blow the water from
the flats of the Eastern branch of the Po-
tomac. The recedng of the water has left
many fish stranded in shallow pools and on
the soft mud. In consequence Of this con-
dition hundreds of sea gulls have been at
tracted by the prevalence of easy prey, and
have been feasting ravenously off the de-
fenseless small bass, perch and great
quantity of other fish.
The causes CT the steady, high-speed
winds prevailing in Washington are inter-
esting. The night of Tuesday, April 2, the
barometer began to f#ll, foreteiling the ap-
proach of bad weather. The morning of
the Sd instant found the capital city the
center of a storm which had come from
Texas. high barometric pressure pre-
vailed in the lake regions, sending cold
rents circled about Washington, blowing
generally from the nGrthwestcrly quarter.
Thursday, April I, the storm center had
moved off the coast. but Washington was
still Immediately in che line of the cur
rents from the lakes, and the wind con-
tinued to blow. Friday, the 9Th, the low
pressure had moved little further out to
sea, but not sufficiently far 10 change the
course Of the atmospheric movements.
Low Pressure Area.
Meantime out in Colorado new low
pressure area had formed the 4th, and was
proceeding eastwardly. This new cause of
disturbance arrived in the vicinity of Wash
ington the morning Of Saturday, the 9Th,
just the other had passed out Of range.
Since Saturday the center of this low has
been near Washington, moving gradually
out tor sea and consequently since that
time the winds have blown uninterruptedly
and with much force. The low area is
gradually disappearing now. however, and
it is believed it's influence will soon be gone
For two days, therefore, Washington suf-
of the first low pressure, and for the last
three days has been in the throes of the
second area. The first came from Texas,
the second from Colorado, and many citi-
zens are inclined to place those states on
the blacklist for having been the cause of
SO much disturbance. The great danger,
they feel. is that Boreas will exhaust his
annual supply Of breezes before July and
August, when they will be so badly needed
an. gladly welcomed.
The actual temperature since the winds
began to blow has been in accordance with
the seasonal average, but the heavy clouds
and stiff breezes have chilled the bones and
made the weather seem unusually cold.
The march Record.
The wind record of March this year does
not compare with that already rolled up
by April. During the first ten days of the
former month the wind varied from a very
light breeze to a velocity Of six miles and
sometimes ten miles hour whereas
Apiils first ten days have been marked
by averages between twenty and thirty
VIXEN the heavy clouds rolled away into
the east, the weather for April had been
dark, threatening and gloomy, with oc-
casional bursts of rain, During March, on
the contrary, the weather was mild dur
ing almost the entire month, and the rain
came in spring-like showers. 1t is, then,
wonder that this unusual reversal of
the regular order Of weather for March
and April should have called out the COM
ment of the lady shopper on the avenue
car.
New York and Philadelphia have been
common sufferers with Washington. Around
the dangerous shoals of Cape Hatteras,
N. c., the gale has been blowing an aver
age of between thirty and fifty miles an
hour. An odd fact in connection with the
prevalence of high winds in the east Is
that during the past few days the wind in
this city has averaged from six to eight
miles an hour faster than in Baltimore.
WEATHER INDICATIONS.