Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1914-03-03
EMPLOYS SIMPLE
BUSINESS METHODS
How the Weather Bureau Forecasts
Storms, Frosts, and Floods.

Many people have an idea that
there is something mysterious and
occult about the work Of the Weather
Bureau in forecasting the coming
of storms, frosts, and floods. Not a
few think that the observers must
necessarily get their data by reading
the planets, the stars and the moon.
AS a matter of fact, the forecaster of
the bureau foretells the coming of
disturbances in businesslike way,
very similar to that in which man
who has ordered shipment of goods
would estimate the date of its arriv-
| al.
Suppose a business man had order
ed carload of pineapples from the
Hawaiian Islands. He would know
the average time it would take the
steamer to make the trip to the Pa
cific port, the average time for unload
ing and loading into refrigerator cars,
and the average number Of days to be
allowed these cars for their trip
across the continent to New York.
His estimate, however, would be SUBJ
ject to error, because the steamship
might be delayed by fog or the cars
might meet with an accident.
Storms, like pineapples, as a rule
aorot originate in the United States.
ine' come to us, some from the Phil
iPpihe1 Japan, Siberia, Alaska, Can
qua or the Gulf of Mexico. The
i"eatner Bureau gets CABLE. tele
eraphic' wireless notice of fore
ign storm. Station after station, or
Vessei after vessel reports the storms
ARRIVAL In its neighborhood, so that
'ne general direction and rate of pro-
gress can be determined very early.
IN Iaet, the arrival of some can be
ioretold 10 days in advance.
Inc forecasters watch for the re-
glcn low barometer which is the
storm center around which the winds
blow. This whirl or eddy moves bod
" forward with the general eastward
drift of about $50 miles day in our
ATTITUDES. The forecaster determines
the direction OF movement of the
storm and it, velocity.
When weather disturbances are re-
ported che forecasters know from ex-
perisnce about how long it takes them
teS reach our Pacific coast, and then
now long after they will reach the
Atiantic coast. For example. If a
storm coming from Siberia drifts
eastward around the the North pole
ana reappears in Alaska, it should an.
pear In Washington and Oregon in
about two days; should get to the |
treat Lakes in six days and to the
Atlantic coast in seven or eight DAYS
Unexpected conditions may DELAY
torms or divert them from the
traight track, just as a refrigerator
ar may be thrown off its schedule
r be shipped by accident on a wrong
oad' Some of these storms deplete
themselves by running into regions of
Ign barometer which are of greater
Magnitude and extent than the storm
SELF. Some of them, however, travel
around the world.
10 keep tab on cold waves tbat
'me into the United States from
anada and Alaska, the Weather
ureau studies the Canadian Weather
ports England sends reports from
Gland, the British Islands, and Con.
mental Europe, and daily reports
me from st. Petersburg on the con.
lions in Russia and Siberia
he same business-like methods
ed In tracing the track of a storm
applied in determining the arrival
frosts.
Flood forecasts are made in much
same way. Information as TO the
lount OF rainfall at the head waters
streams that cause floods are COW
d by Geographic reports sent by
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