The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-01-30
NO MAGIC BY Which
WEATHER CAN BE
FORETOLD

Many people have an idea that there
IS something mysterious and occult
about the work of the United States
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 fore
caster of the Bureau foretells the COM
ing of disturbances in a businesslike
way, very similar to that in which a
man who has ordered a shipment o;
goods would estimate the date OF its
arrival.
Suppose a business man had ordered
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
cine port, the average time for un-
loading 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 sub
JeCt to error, because the steamship
might be delayed by fog, or the cars
might meet with an accident
Storms, like pineapples, as rule
do not originate in the United States.
They come to us from the
Philippines Japan, Siberia, Alaska,
Canada, or the Gulf of Mexico The
Weather Bureau gets cable, telegraph
&c or wireless notice of foreign
storm. Station after station, or YES
sci after vessel, reports the storms
arrival in its neighborhood, so that
the general direction and rate of pro-
gress can be determined very early.
In fact, the arrival OF some storms
can be foretold ten days in advance.
The forcasters watch for the region
of low barometer which is the storm
center around which the winds blow
This whirl or eddy moves bodily for
ward with the general eastward drift
of about $50 miles a day in our lat
itudes. AS the lines OF equal pressure
CsobarS) around the low center crowd
closer together, the winds attending
the storm increase in force. The
torecaster determines the direction
OF movement of the storm and its
velocity.
When weather disturbances are re-
ported, the forecasters know from
experience about how long it takes
them to reach our Pacific coast, and
then how long after they will reach
the Atlantic coast. For example, j.
storm coming from Siberia drifts
eastward around the north pole and
re-appears 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 Atlantic
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 of great
er magnitude and extent than the
storm itsel:. Some Of them, however,
travel completely around the world.
come into the United States from
Canada and Alaska, the Weather Bur
eau studies the Canadian weather re-
ports. England sends reports from
Iceland, the British Islands and Con
tinental Europe, and daily reports
come from St. Petersburg on the con-
ditions in Russia and Sibe.. I.
The same businesslike sSstem used
in tracing the track of a storm is ap-
piled in determining the arrival of
frosts.
Flood forecasts are made much in
the same way Information as to the
amount OF rainfall at the headwaters
Of streams that cause floods are COW
cred by Geographic reports sent by
local observers. AS this rain reach
es the main channe'. the height of the
water in the channel, is determined
by successive puaging stations. Past
records establish how much a height
say OF 20 feet at Dubuque, Iowa, will
p1 oduce at Davenport another station
so miles down the Mississippi This
plan is followed all the way down the
river, and at each point full allowance
is made for the effects of water from
tributaries, and from additional and
local rainfall. AS result of these