The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-06
DROP TO 8 BELOW
Kansas Experiences First Zero
Weather for Two Years.
Mercury Falls Rapidly During
the Night.
COLDEST AT 6O'CLOCK
After That Hour the Mercury
Rose Slowly.
Most Frigid Since February 13,
1905.
COLDEST AT 6O'CLOCK

The local weather station this af-
ternOon received the following tele-
gram from Willis L. Moore, chief OF
the weather bureau which covers the
cold wave situation:
"A cold wave is persistent in the
northwest this morning and is cover
ing the entire northern and central
portions of the country between the
Rocky Mountains and the AppaIa-
chians. 1t will OyerSpread the east
and south tonight to the Atlantic and
the Gulf and il will be still colder in
the interior. The cold wave viii main-
tain its severe character and Will con-
tinue over the eastern half of the
country until about the end of the
present week although there Will be
some moderation in the central west
by Friday or Saturday. The line of
zero temperatures Will probably extend
into northern and the extreme western
portion OF Virginia, by Friday MORN
ing. and freezing temperature may ex-
tend into northern Florida Thursday
morning and as far south as the 26th
parallel by Friday morning The
weather will be generally fair except
along the eastern slope of the Rockies
where there will be snow for a day or
two.
The mercury in the government Their
mometer on the Mulvane building drop
ped TO degrees below zero at 6 O'Clock
this morning and then halted and held
its own and since that time has strug-
gled for higher standing Topeka is
in the grasp of the first really cold
weather OF the winter and Kansas and
the neIghbOriug states are similarly
situated in this respect There was no
zero weather last year.
The last time there was zero weather
mere was on February s, 1907. when
the mercury just touched the zero
mark There has been no weather I
actually below zero since February 8, /
The big drop or the n1ercITry came as I
a surprise though the weather DEPART
nent received word of lis approach /
several hours in advance of its arrival. /
Early bulletins issued Tuesday fndi- (
Gated the possibility of snow and ris- /
ing temperature. Later in the day the 4
local observers received word that the /
course OF the storm with a center over I
Montana had shifted and that Kansas 1
would be in the new course selected.
Backed with this information the
weather bureau issued second and /
finally third bulletin warning To- /
pekans of the approach of lower than 4
zero weather. The last bulletin issued !
predicted ten degrees below zero as an 4
early morning reading and the mark /
was missed by scarcely two degrees
Kansas is not alone in the grasp OF i
the wintry blasts for the cold wave /
extends over practically all of the CEN /
trail portion of the United States. Can
ada on the north, and down through |
the Ohio valley to the lake region on 1
the east and north Zero weather is |
not a rarity in Kansas though the |
reading was lower this morn
Ing than it has been at any time since
the 18th of February 1905 when the
the 18th day of the same month in 1893
the mercury dropped to % degrees be-
low zero which is the minimum mark
for the % years during which the rec
0rds have been kept in this city.
The maximum tenn perature for the
past "A hours was reached at l o'clock
Tuesday when the temperature reading
was II degrees above zero The mer-