The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-09-16
The Climate You Live in.

The Climate You Live in.
Like to know what kind of climate
you're living in? The weather bureau
has just issued a bulletin giving a
summary of the normal weather of
northeastern Nebraska. And here it
is
The territory covered by this dis
cussion embraces the northeastern
portion of the state north of latitude
Al degrees, and extending westward
to the eastern border of Custor coun-
ty, or slightly west of the 99th meri-
dian. 1t comprises slightly less than
900 square miles, which is 26 per-
cent of the area of the state. The
population in this region averaged, in
1900, "a persons to the square mile.
The elevation is a little more than
| 900 feet along the eastern boundary,
| but rises steadily westward to a lit
| tie more than 1000 feet at the western
| border. The slope is mainly eastward,
| but there is also very slight slope
| southwark. Nearly all of this section
is within the great fertile loess plains
| region of Nebraska. The sandhill re.
gion, however, touches the western
| counties in this vicinity the surface
soil contains a large percentage of
sand. The loesS plains are usually
smooth, but here and there are shall
low drainage ways and slight knoll
like elevations. The rivers are broad
and flow in broad valleys.
The region is drained in the main
by the Platte river and its branches
but a strip some 20 to 80 miles wide
along the northern and eastern border
is drained by the Niobrara and Mis-
souri, rivers. OF the tributaries Of the
Platte, the Loup with its many branch
es, most of which rise in the sand
hill region to the west of the area
considered in this dicussion, drains
the southwestern part Of this section
and empties into the Platte river neal
err branch of the Platte, rises in the
northwestern portion of this territory
and flows southeastward, emptyinl
into the Platte river near its unior
with the Missouri river. Most of this
territory is rich farming region rap
idly being occupied by settlers.
Climatic Characteristics.
The smooth, even character of the
surface soil tends to prevent an!
marked peculiarities in climate
There is, however, a slight difference
due to latitude and elevation as wei
as to the relative distance from large
bodies of water and extensive noun
tain ranges.
The precipitation is commonly con
sidered the most important climate
factor and it is given in considerable
detail in the accompanying tables
which show the amounts by months
and years at a number of station
from the beginning of observations t,
the end of 1908.
The average annual precipitation de
creases from 30,5 inches in the south
eastern portion to 22.5 inches in tn
extreme northwestern. From 70 t.
Is percent of this falls in the growinj
season, April to September, inclusive
About 80 percent, or rather more thai
II inches, falls during the thre
months of May, June and July. Th
time of maximum rainfall occurs il
June. The normal precipitation 70
the driest months, November, Decem
Der, January and February, is abou
three-fourths of an inch each, and thu
only about one-ninth of the annua
amount falls in these four months.
Most of the rainfall in the summe
months occurs in storms accompanied
by thunder and lightning, and Otter
with heavy rainfalls for a short time
Somewhat more than half of the rain
fall of May, June and July occurs il
rains of 100 inch or more in "a hours
In most years at least a part of tn,
section is visited by storm with
rainfall of 2 to inches in "a hours
In a few instances amounts from
to inches have fallen in "a hours
The rainfall in May and June is usual
ly we'll distributed and drought periods
during these months are almost un
known. In July the distribution is no
quite as good. On the average rail-
falls about every fourth day durinj
the three months, May June and July
From 20 to 70 days with ,O1 incl
or more of precipitation occur in thu
eastern portion of the section, but tn,
number decreases to GO or So in tn,
western portion.
: The average annual snowfall i
slightly more than 25 inches. 1t i
heaviest in the northern and eastern
. parts of the section, but the difference