The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30

ditions during 1906 is furnished by tn,
Salt Lake weather bureau. This hai
headquarters in the Dooly building, an,
is one of the most thoroughly equipped
III the west. DR.. Robert j. Hyatt i:
section forecaster, and in charge of al
Utah bureaus. His assistants are ]
Cecil Alter and II. B. Goodwin.
Year Opens StormiIy.
,January-High barometric pressure
lay almost dormant over the inter
mountain country a large part of the
month, causing geneI ally calm anC
cloudy weather, with considerable fog
giness in the valley districts. The cold
est weather occurred quite generally
during the first two weeks. the coolest
locality being the Strawberry valley;
and the Warmest weather occurred in
two brief periods-about the middle and
near the close of the month, the mildest
ulstPiotp being Sewer ard Washington
counties. The snowstorms were fairly
heavy and were well distributed during
the middle decade. EXCEPT a brief
stormy period at the beginning, the re-
mdinder OF the month was without pre-
cipitation. The snowfall was heaviest
in Rich and adjacent counties, and
hghtest III Beaver county. During the
closing decade an almost unbrOken
covering of deep snow overspread the
state, and light to dense fogs were I'M
usually frequent.
The mean temperature of the state.
as determined from the reports of about
sixty stations, was 25.3 degrees or IL
degree below the normal. The highest
9 temperature recorded was 20 degrees
at Plateau and St. George on the 9th;
the lowest was 80 degrees below zero
at Strawberry valley on the 9Th. The
absolute range was 109 degrees. The
average precipitation, as determined
, from the reports of about seventy sta
tons. was 160 inches, or % inch above
; the normal, the excess being general
over the state. The greatest monthly
amount was 0.45 at MeadowVille and
the least 10 inch at Frisco. There was
an average of six days with OF inch or
more of precipitation. The prevailing
direction of the wind was southwest.
February CIoudiest Month.
February-This was probably the
clOUdiest month on record, though dur
ing the first decade this characteristic
was less pronounced, and numerous
logs occurred, owing 10 the prevailing
high harOmetric pressure. Tempera-
lures were decidedly below normal dur
ing the foggy weather, but were con-
siderably higher during the latter part
of the month. The coolest districts
were in the Uintah mountains, and the
Warmest in the Virgin River valley
Storms of rain, sleet and snow. with
some high winds. occurred frequently
during the middle and last decades
The mountain regions received by far
the most precipitation. the amounts be-
. ing almost inappreciabie elsewhere,
though the state was generally we'll
covered with snow.
The mean temperature of the state
was S3.7 degrees, or 3.5 degrees above
the normal The highest temperature
recorded was 81 degrees at Rockville on
the 9th; the lowest was Is degrees be-
low zero at Fort Duchesne on the Sth
The absolute range was 80 degrees.
The average precipitation was IS inch,
CT % inch below the normal. the de-
ficiency being quite equable over the
state. The greatest monthly amount
was 256 inches at Pennington, while
at Green River no precipitation was re-
corded. There were five days with OF
inch or more of precipitation. The pre-
VailiHg wind direction was southwest.
"came in Like Lion"
March-The amount of cIoudiness
Was abnormally large during the
month reducing the daily temperature
ranges considerably, otherwise no I'M
usual thermOmetric features were re-
Vealed. As usual, the southern valleys
OF Washington county mark the warm
est region of the state. and the coolest
districts were in the Straw berry valley.
The precipitation was especially heavy,
exceeding all previous records The
area of greatest amount covered the
southwestern counties and the noun
famous regions to the northeastward:
elsewhere the amount was consider
ably less. The only dry period of the
month was the closing half of the first
decade During the early part of the
month the precipitation was principal
ly snow, but thereafter it was copiously
mixed with rain, which, together with
the higher temperatures rapidly re-
moved the snow from the ground, leav-
ing II bare in most of the valleys. Dur
ing the passage of an unusually ener-
getic low pressure area on the night of
the 12th-13tl, wind velocities- were very
high. the maximum velocities at Salt
Lake City and MOdena being sixty
miles per hour. However. the damage
was slight. owing perhaps to the steady
maintained velocity during the storm.
The mean temperature of the state
was 80 degrees, or 3 degree below the
normal. The highest temperature re-
corded was Sc degrees at Grayson on |
the S1st; the lowest was "a degrees be- |
low zero at Strawberry valley on the |
18th. The absolute range was 12O de- |
grees. The average precipitation was |
314 inches, or 1.42 inches above the nor |
NAL The excess increased gradually |
from north to south The greatest |
amount was 1902 inches at /
Ranch, at the least Ia inch at Lucin. |
There was an average of eleven DAYS
with .01 inch or more of precipitation.
The prevailing wind direction was
southwest.
April Was Backward.
April-While there were numerous
snort periods of warm, spring-like |
weather. during the month, the inter
'enlng cold, stormy weather caused
general complaint of backward condi-
ions. Nearly every precipitation storm
was followed by unusually low temper
lures. the severest occurring quite
'ariy IN the month. Washington coun-
" and the valley of the Colorado river
were the warmest regions, and Rich
ana Wasatch the coolest. Well dis
.Tlouted ram and snowstorms occurred
-re0HfnIfV ThT0nOfoF1f tho /