The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-12-18
CLIMATOLOGY y

degrees, and December AS degrees.
From the above it is seen that the
Flathead valley possesses a climate
that is unique, its principal charac-
teristic is moderation, both winter
and summer; there are no severe
cold spells of weather accompanied
by billiards. during winter. nor have
we ever had a hot, parching wind
during the summer.
Precipitation.
The annual precipitation taken
from the records of the U. S. Wea-
ther Bureau, is 1861 inches, and is
unevenly distributed during the year
all the months however received
some precipitation. May and June
are the months of greatest rainfall,
the spring rains usually beginning
about the 10th or 18th of May, and
end about the last of June. They
some times continue until the first
week in July. A characteristic of the
rainfall of this valley is the gentle
ness with which it falls. We have no
dashing rains, washing the surface
OF the soil there is not to be found
ON any of the most rolling of our
any kind The number of days with
.0l inch or more of precipitation av-
crages 1926, and at no time has there
been more than SO inches of rain
fall in one hour. The greatest rain
fall during "a hours was 1856 inches.
May 18th, 1900. An annual precipita-
ton Of less than II inches may be
considered insufficient for crop pro-
ductiOn, nevertheless a banner crop
was produced in this valley in 1901,
while the records of the Weather Blu
reau Office in this city show the an
nual precipitation for that year to
be only 1886 inches. The enormous
amount of water for every inch of
precipitation is estimated at 10000
600 gallons to the square mile.
The snowfall averages about SO
inches annually between the first of
November and the last of March,
which is moderate for this latitude.
When the snowy season begins dur
ing the fall. the weather conditions
become settled, and from November
until the general breaking up in the
spring. the ground is rarely free
from a liberal covering of snow. A
light fall ds had at short intervals
which furnishes continuous shedding
during the entire season. The snow
is not carried into drift; as a rule
the amount received in one portion
of the valley does not materially diff
fer from that received in other Sec
tions. During the winter months the
wind movement is very light. at no
time does it exceed X to ten miles
per hour and for days it is much less
than these amounts. The snow lies
even and where it falls.
The character of the days relative
to cloudiness, averages as follows:
clear. 1872: partly cloudy, III; and
cloudy. 126. The general cloudiness
is decided benefit to this valley.
1t renders agriculture possible by
preventing the evaporation of the
moisture received from rain and
snow. and THE slight evaporation
which takes place is not waited
away for the same reason that the
snow does not drift-the small wind
velocity in the country. The per-
centage of sunshine. as compared
with the possible hours of sun-hine
during the month. is as follows:
January. S5: February. SO; March,
40: April. Sc: May, 46: Julr,5S;
July. GA: August, 75 September,
IS; October. Sc; November. 25: De-
cember. Is.
Frosts.
The average date of the last kill
ing frost in the spring is May 14th;
the last light frost. June 18th. The
average date of the first light in the
fall is September 9Th; the first kill
ing. October 18th.
Thunderstcrms.
These are rare. averaging about
two each month between the first of
May and the last of September. and
not of a violent kind, nor of long du-