Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-27


that over the Mississippi valley. over
the latter. brisk southerly winds and
high temperatures prevail. the Their
mometer sometimes registering as high
as 40 degrees In tho afternoon or early
spring. while within the Rocky noun
tain area. the winds come from the
north, and the Thermometer registers
from 80 to 40 degrees only. with fire.
quent SHOWS on the mountains and
eastern foot hills, and with late spring
frosts in the higher valleys.
Mountains have both their coolest
and warmest hours OF the day an hour
or two earlier than do the lowlands.
Thus the obir and Somblick submits
of Austria-Hungery show that 1880 a.
IN. and q 80 to p. m. are the coolest
and warmest times respectively of the
day, In most OF the lowlands. tho
warmest hour is from to o'clock,
and the coolest is Just before sun
rise.
DIVERSIONS OF TEMPERATURES
Throughout the western plateau,
seek the mountains for coolness in sum-
mer. 1t seems contradictory to say that
In winter especially, the places at an
intermediate altitude are warrnest. 1t
must be remembered that the severe
winter cold is not usually imported
by cold north or northeast winds, but is
locally produced by radiation under the
clear sky of the long nights, especially
II the ground is. covered with snow.
The cooling of the air under these con-
dltions normally proceeds from below
upward, and the cold strata have at
first very little vertical extent Ham.
Cold air flows down from the mountains
in calm weather and is replaced by 9TH
err air from above. which is not so cold,
and being compressed by its descent,
becomes still warmer; so that warm
weather may prevail on the mountain
tops. while frosts occur in the valleys.
These temperature diversions in the
plateau region occur whenever. In the
winter season, the clear weather that
follows cycionic storm moves south
Rocky mountains just at the time when
the southern portion of the Great Basin
Is occupied by cyclone, or storm GEN.
ter. One record shows that Halls
Gulch at an elevation of 1900 feet, in
February, 1905, had for Ia successive
days a mean temperature only half
degree lower than at Denver, which is
more than a mile nearer sea level. In
detail the mean of these temperature
diversions for the IA days. beginning
East of the divide. $500 TO $500 feet, at
Fort Collins, Colorado Springs. Denver
Boulder, etc, Z, ., 3, 1S, 81. 16. 16. 90. o.
10, -, III, z. Ii.
AT $500 to $500 feet, at Cheeseman,
salida, and Idaho Springs. the tempera-
lures on the same days were; 49, go, 30.
"a, 90, 26. 20, 20, 16. II, a. %. 8. and 81.
Observe that these temperatures av-
erage much higher than those above
given for the lower altitude.
From $500 to 10000 feet. at Longs
Peak, Frances. Lake Morain, and Halls
Gulch, the readings We're: is. 81. 70. 70,
u,
Even these temperatures are higher
than those at one-half of this altitude.
West of tho Divide, the average tenn
peratureS on these dates, at Fruita.
Grand Valley and Glenwood Springs.
varying from $500 to $500 feet, were as
follows; 81. 33, sc, 36. SO, SO, rs, n, IL. rs,
"a, 6, -. and 3. 1t will be observed
that the air was considerably warmer
here than in the first named region east
a.. n n, nj th.ax ina "a 4
$500 to $500 feet, west of the Divide,
at Pagoda, the temperatures far higher.
than those of the Fort Collins region,
We're: 20, 81. "a, 22, %, rs, IA, 15. ID, .,
16, lie, n, 10.
From $500 to 1900 feet, at Brecken-
ridge Silverton, and White Pine, the
temperatures west of the Divide We're:
81, 2S, %, "a, II, 10, is, ID, j, 10. ID, 0,
., 10. Here the difference between the
tornperature at great attitudes west of
the Divide as compared with that OF
the Fort Collins area east of the noun
tains is so great as to be particularly
impressive OF this remarkable law or
exceptions to the general rule that the
temperature falls, somewhat regularly
with elevation above tho sea.
MOISTURE OF MOUNTAINS.
Tha atmosphere of high mountains
noon, and least in the early morning
hours; sudden changes and storns oc-
cur. Clouds often form at the sum-
mlts, due to winds rising from the
valley and passing over the noun
tains. Frequently the air is so dry
that hands and face crack and bleed,
and thirst is keenly felt. Evaporation
Is great because of the diminished air
pressure. Meat dries without decay
ing, and even dead animals may be
muminified on the high peaks the
noon hours are clearest In winter,
cloudiest in summer. Rainfall Is
heavier than in the valleys, and the
cultivation of the latter is dependent
upon the amount of the winter SHOWS
stored by the higher ranges. In tho
whole western plateau, all the country
lower than $3.50 feet IL "a desert. and
between that altitude and 5000 feet is
a partial desert. The rainfall increases
with the altitude. "At greater eleva-
lions, the ground Is more and mora
covered with vegetation. and at alti-
tudes OF $500 and 5000 feet there are
magnificent virgin forests, with rich
valleys and numerous springs OF water.
II this region were all below $3.50 feet,
IT would be one vast desert. which
would have an extent greater than
hsJf Of Europe. "--1sow. The noun
tsins have usually q mcister and a