The Calumet news., 1910-11-09
UPPER PENINSULA
CLIMATE REPORT
WEATHER BUREAU ISSUES Bull
LETlN OF ESPECIAL INTEREST
TO RESIDENTS OF THIS
LOCALITY.

| Cllm0tological condition In the upper
peninsula OF Michigan, which is of
peculiar interest 10 the residents of
this locality. The conclusions are based
on the records of the various weather
stations i'm the district since they We're
established. Records of each of the sta
tions are tabulated, showing annual
and mean precipitation, maximum.
minimum and mean temperatures by
months for each year. prevailing
winds, and much other interesting da-
Ia. The descriptive matter is brim
| full of instructive matter, much of
which is news to many residents of
this locality. The following is taken
from the report:
This section was originally covered
with heavy forests of pine, the greater
part of which has now fallen beneath
he axe of the lumberman. The eastern
end of the peninsula contains much
swampy land, the black soil of which,
when properly drained, is very fertile.
In the middle portion, Delta county
and parts of adjacent counties, the
surface is rolling and the soil well
suited to general farming. Farther west
are found the iron and copper mining
regions extending from Dickinson,
Iron and eastern Ontonagon counties
into the Keweenaw peninsula. The
surface of this portion is rough and
rocky and contains numerous elevated
points, some of which are 1900 to 1000
feet above sea level. Still farther west.
i'm portions of Houghton Ontonagon
and Gogebic counties, there is a con-
siderable area of fertile agricultural
land
''The water powers of this section
have been but little developed. Perhaps
the greatest single power possibility is
to be found on the Taquamenon river.
where there are two sets of falls, the
upper having a sheer drop of fortyf five
feet. The lower falls are about seven
miles below and separated from the
upper falls by rapids having a fall of
eight feet in three fourths of mile.
double cascade, have a fall of twenty
feet.
Frequent Changes in Weather.
"The climate in characterized by
frequent changes in weather condi-
tions as might be expected from the
fact that this section lies i'm a region
subject to the influence of storms, |
and high pressure areas that move
eastward across the Lake region.
''rhe mean temperature. ranges from |
rs degrees Or less ON the higher eleva-
tions AS degrees in the extreme
southern portion, The temperature
conditions are considerably affected by
the proximity of the lakes AS rule,
the range between the mean summer
and mean winter temperatures is three
to five degrees less for stations on the
shore than for those i'm the interior
The most severe winter weather occurs
in the more seelvated regions in the
western portion. the mean winter tenn
perature I'm that section being four to
five degrees below that of stations of
lesser elevation and nearer the lake
shore. February is the coldest month,
averaging from one to four degrees
colder than January, and July is the
month.
The annual precipitation averages
from thirty to thrty-five inches over
most of this section. although it is be-
tween twenty five and thirty inches
over considerable areas in the western
part The distribution of precipitation
the year is fairly uniform
but considerably more falls during the
six months from May TO October, in
elusive. than during the remainder of
the year.
THE annual snowfall is very heavy
100 inches or more, in the Keweenaw
peninsula and i'm narrow strip of ter
ritory, perhaps ten or more miles in
width, along the Lake Superior shore
nearly to Whitefish point. IL
decreases toward the south and is
,nly about forty inches annually at
Menominee in the extreme southern
point. The heaviest snowfall occurs
during December. January and Feb
ruary. Considerable snowfall some
tmies occurs during May and Septem-
ber and amounts too small TO mea-
sure or snow that melts as il falls Is
Iot infrequent during those months.
"The average date of the last killing
frost i'm spring is from May TO May II
for localities having a lake exposure
and ranges from the latter date TO June
IL for Interior points. Killing frost
has occurred at Chatham as late rs
June 2S and at Escanaba July 9. The
average date of the first killing frost i'm
the autumn ranges, from September
to in the high lands of the western
portion to October TO 10 for lake sta
tions. However, killing frost has oc-
CURED at Escanaba as early as July 81
and at several stations during August.
and in fact is not infreauent in the
more exposed localities during the lat
ter month"