The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-21
TRACING STORMS
OVER THE WORLD
How the United States Weather Bureau
Forecasts the Weather Condi-
lions For Us.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 2l.--Many peo-
pie 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 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 bu-
reau foretells the coming of disturb
ances in businesslike way, very similar
to that in which man who has ordered
shipment of goods would estimate the
date of its arrival.
Suppose a business man had ordered
a carload of pineapples from the Ha
waiian islands. He would know the ay-
erage time it would take the steamer
to make the trip to the Pacific port,
the average time for unloading and load
ing into refrigerator cars, and the aver
age number of days to be allowed these
cars for their trip across the continent
to New York. His estimate, however,
would be subject to error, because the
steamship might be delayed by fog, or
the ears might meet with an accident.
Storms, like ppeapples, as rule do
not originate in the United States. They
come to us, some from the Philippines,
Japan, Siberia, Alaska, Canada or the
Gulf of Mexico The weather bureau
gets cable, telegraphic or wireless notice
of a foreign storm. Station after sta
ton, or vessel after vessel, reports the
storms arrival in its neighborhood. SO
that the general direction and rate of
progress can be determined very early.
In fact, the arrival OF some storms can
be foretold ten days in advance.
The forecasters watch for the region
of low barometer which is the storm
center around which the winds blow.
This whirl or eddy moves bodily forward
with the general eastward drift of about
ESQ miles a day in our ATTITUDES. As
the lines of equal pressure (isobars)
around the low center crowd closer to-
gether, the winds attending the storm
increase in force. The forecaster deter
mines the direction of movement of the
storm and its velocity.
When weather disturbances are re-
ported, the foreeasters know from eX-
perience about how long it takes them
to reach our Pacific coast, and then how
long after they win reach the Atlantic
coast. For example, if storm coming
from SiberiaA drifts eastward around the
north pole and reappears in Alaska. it
should appear in Washington and Oregon
in about two days; should get to the
Great Lakes in six days and to the At
lantic coast in seven or eight. days
Unexpected conditions may delay
storms or divert them from the straight
track just as a refrigerator car may be
thrown off its schedule or be shipped by
accident on wrong road. Some of these
storms deplete themselves by running
INTO regions of high barometer which are
IF greater magnitude and extent than
the storm itself. Some of them, how
ever, travel completely around the
world.
To keep tab on cold waves that come
nto the United States from Canada and
Alaska, the weather bureau studies the
Canadian weather reports. England
sends reports from Iceland, the British
Stands and continental Europe, and
laily reports come from St Petersburg
M the conditions in Russia and Siberia.
The same businesslke system used in
racing the track of a storm is applied
n determining the arrival of frosts.
Flood forecasts are made in much the
anne way. Information as to the
mount of rainfall at the headwaters of
treams that cause floods are covered
" telegraphic reports sent by local OBJ
eryers. As this rain reaches the main
hanneI, the height of the water in the
hannelis determined by successive gaug-
NO stations Past records establish how
much height. say of 20 feet at Du-
uque, Iowa, will produce at Davenport,
mother station so miles down the Mis-
issipp This plan is followed all the
ray down the river, and at each point
ull allowance is made for the effects of
7ater from tributaries, and from addi-
ional and local rainfall. As a result of
hese observations in the recent flood,
he people of Cairo had warning a week
r ten days in advance. The Pittsburg
istrict can be given only Y to "a hours
office, because flood is upon them
thin "a hours after heavy rain storm.