The daily sentinel., 1907-04-20
REPORTS IT EFFECTIVE.
interesting Report Made 10 the M
tlonal Government by Observer
Guthrie Regarding Grand
Valley Smudging.


terest the following report of "the
beneficial results of smudging In the
Grahd Valley during March, 1907.
made by Mr. Guthrie. In charge of the
Grand Junction weather station 10
the United States Weather Rnrean oS
Ilclals at Washington and endorsed
by them:
The month of March. In the Grand
valley, was the warmest, save ono
FOR which we have records. the ex-
tceptlon occurring in 1900. The mean
temperature was A degrees, or 3
! degrees above the normal. There
were 10 days on which the tempera-
ture did not fall TO the freezing
point; and the highest temperature
ever recorded in March, 81 degrees.
was reached on the 18th.
This exceptionally warm weather.
following the warmest February on
record, quickened the fruit buds. and
caused them to swell and bloom at
least three weeks earlier than the
average time. The critical stage of
development, the stage at which
temperature of 80 degrees or lower
Is injurious, was reached by the II.
On the afternoon OF the 22nd the
ranohers We're notified to prepare
/
at p. m, with rising temperature.
no alarm was given; and. although
the sky cleared before 5 a. m, of the
23rd, SO degrees was the lowest point
reached.
The sky was clear during the even
ing of the 25th, but the temperature
had not fallen below 5S degrees at
midnight. no danger was apprehend-
ed. and no alarm was given. A de-
cided fall in temperature began
shortly after n. m, the fall
amounting to 10 degrees in three
hours. A minimum of "a degrees
was reached at Grand Junction, and
slightly lower In the upper valley,
but the sky became overcast by a.
m, and no injury ensued.
Preparations to smudge We're again
made on the afternoon of the 27th.
The weather bureau office was placed
in communication with all ranchers
of the valley and half-hourly tenn
perature readings were received from
them throughout the night. Read
ings ranging from &c degrees to 80
degrees were recorded in various To-
calities: but the sky remained over
cast during the entire night. and long
after sunrise. No smudging was done
and there was no injury to the fruit.
On the morning of the 2Sth the
weather map showed decided storm
center In southeastern Colorado, with
rising barometer and low tempera-
ture to the westward. while clear
skies obtained in this vicinity. These
conditions indicated dangerous
temperature by the following morn
ing, and all ranchers were notified
TO prepare smudges. The local pa
pers advised the citizens to use every
possible means TO increase the smoke,
and the mayor issued special proc
lamation to that effect. Communi-
cation with the ranchers, by tele-
phone, was maintained throughout
the night, and semi-hourly tempera-
ture readings were received At 2
a. m, 1t was seen that a dangerously
low temperature was inevitable, and
the alarm was given by telephone.
fire alarm and whistles. The ranch
ers, and the citizens of Grand June
ton, responded generally to the
alarm. and the resulting smoke was
the greatest in the history of the val
ley. The minimum temperatures re-
ported during the night. from various
parts of the valley, ranged from 23
degrees 10 80 degrees. The sky was
clear during the entire night. and the
efficiency of the smudging was clear
Iy shown by the fact that while the
temperature had been rapidly falling
up to 2 p. M, at 1850 p. m, about
the time the smudging was well un-
der way, it ceased to fall and remain
ed practically stationery for about
two hours
In the upper, or eastern. part of
the valley the fruit, especially peach
es, suffered material injury. Some
doubt of the protective effects of the
smudging has since been expressed;
but It must be remembered that the
night was clear and cold, and that
the temperature fell to from 1 de-
gree to degrees below the danger
point for fruit in the stage of develop
ment attained. The writer is firmly
convinced that, had no smudging
been done. the injury would have
been sweeping and would have eX-
tended over a greater area.
Extensive frosts and freezes
were again experienced on the morn
ing of the 30th, minima ranging from
"a degrees at Fruitvale to 40 degree
at Palisade being reported. Smudges
were prepared during the afternoon
of the 29th, and at 4:30 a. m. the
Ianchers were again advised to
smudge As no further injury to the
fruit ensued. there is no doubt but
that the smudging was again effic-
acious.
LEON ]. GUTHRIE,
Observer U. s. Weather Bureau.
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