Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-30
STRETCH WEATHER FORECASTS
Bureau omciaIs Plan to Cover
Longer Period I'm weather
Prophesies.

Prof. Moore. chief Of the United States
weather bureau. announces that he shall
soon initiate the new service which he
promised several months ago. Tests made
during the summer have satisfied him OF
the feasibility of q plan proposed by Prof
Garriott, and accordingly he will give the
public the benefit OF that system. modest
beginning Is proposed. the forecasts at
first covering only short periods-not ex-
ceedng week, perhaps. Even these, II
substantially accurate three times out OF
four, will certainly prove extremely val
liable. But, II the venture is reasonably
successful. it is Prof. Moore's intention to
extend the range OF the predictions so as
to suggest the general character Of coming
seasons
Whether or not satisfactory results can
be obtained from the method which has
been adopted, 1t has at least rational
basis. The principle is now recognized that
most of the meteorological phenomena OF
which 1t is desirable to have advance notice
come from inequalities in atmospheric pres
sure. Air flows from high" to a Tow"
and the relative positions OF the two con-
troll the direction of the wind, hence to
some extent temperature and rainfall.
These depressions and high pressure areas
which are In almost constant motion, and
whose course Is generally eastward, have
hitherto occupied the attention Of the fore
caster almost exclusively, because they
are more obvious than anything else. There
are other high and low areas, however
which remain nearly stationary for weeks
or months at a time, departing, however,
more or less from their average positions
and betraying other abnormal traits which
the expert can recognize The Washington
bureau, having enlarged its facilities so
as to include telegraphic reports from
widely distributed points in the northern
hemisphere. believes that II can now turn
this information to account in Judging
of the character of the conditions which
are dominated by these sub permanent"
factors.
Prof. Moore takes occasion to say that he
is not at present aiming to utilize observa-
tions Of solar changes. The suspicion has
long been entertained that there is a rela-
ton between the magnetic influence of the
sun and terrestrial weather. Within the
last two or three years a lively interest
has been excited by another possible clue
to the mystery of hot and cold winters
With apparatus OF marvellous sens.bility
which the late Prof Langley perfected an
elaborate effort IL now being made TO dis
cover whether or not there are any con-
spicuous fluctuations in the quantity OF
heat emitted by the sun. It is to both of
these lines of inquiry no doubt. that Prof
Moore refers. His statement, however, is
not to be interpreted by the public as a
condemnation of either class OF investiga-
tion or an expression of his opinion re-
garding its usefulness and pertinence It
is still permissible to think that variations In
the suns radiation may underlie the Pc
culiarities of atmospheric distribution
which seem to be the immediate cause OF
the changes to which the weather bureau
win now give special study. II they do,
the time will come when 1t will prove prof
liable to keep closer watch of solar ec-
centriclties.-New York Tribune.