Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-12
Train Your Weather Eye.
III.-HoW to ForetelI
Storms.
By Frederic J. Haskin.


We have seen that the anti-cyclone is
a great cone of cold air. moving across
the country from the west and at the
same time circulating like the hands
of a. clock, so that all over North
America it produces a west wind. Inc
phenomenon known as cyclone, which
brings the storms. is the exact opposite
in every way. 1t is mass OF me1st
warm air which usually forms some
where in the west or middle west. The
dry, cold air which surrounds it, being
heavier, rushes in around Its base,
squeezing it to point. and circulating
round and round 1t. Thus the cyclone is
an inverted cone of warm. moist air
circulating in the opposite direction from
the hands Of a clock.
If you are going to understand the
weather you must make no mistake
about the size and
Pay Strict Heed action of these
to the Cyclones. , CYCLONES. anu A cy-
clone is usually oblong. It may ex-
tend from far into Canada to far out in
the Gulf of Me~co. and from the At
lantic coast to the Mississippi valley.
Therefore, as it revolves across the
country it brings east Winds and these
east winds are laden with moisture.
Also, because of the great difference
of temperature between the antl-cy-
clones and the surrounding air. these
winds are apt to develop great violence
So the cyclone is the precursor of al
most everything undesirable in wealth.
er. The northeasters on the Atlantic
<sro OF hot talr f1a NrP mn
high and wreck the boats are almost
invariably cyclones that originated
somewhere in the Rocky mountains. al
though you will have a hard time cor :
vincing the longshoreman that they
do not come across the water. In sum-
mer. when long spell of hot, muggy
weather settles upon the land, sapping
your energy and running your DISPOSE
ton, it is due to the presence of
torpid, slow moving cyclone. So that
whenever the wind comes from the
east, winter or summer. you may be
sure the weather is going to change for
the worse.
The weather bureau has been watch
ing every storm that has crossed the
United States for a great many years.
and it has found that there is regu-
lar cycle of these movements. Every
year about ITO storms cross the coun-
try and about 1os Of these are born in
the west, while the other seven usu-
ally come from the eastern gulf states
Fifteen storms year start in the west
gulf states, especially in Texas. Twelve
originate in the Colorado rockies. The
western plateau states start about ten
reau knows approximately the course
that each of these will follow.
For example. both the gulf and the
Colorado storms usually shoot across
the country north
Never Last Long eastward to the st.
in This Valley. That section GETS
about two storms week, all in ALL
About the best thing you can say for
the weather in the st. Lawrence valley
is that it never lasts long.
Occasionally any of these storms may
deviate slightly from it's usual path
The result will be a storm in some sec
ton where clear weather was predict
ed. 1t is these little deviations. impos-
sible to foresee, which cause every man
who left his umbrella at home to say
unpleasant things about the weather
bureau.
Occasionally two cyclones will move
| across the country at the same time.
and if they happen to run together,
| com bining their moisture, a very heavy
| rain is the result.
The brisk cyclone that brings a stiff
| east wind and driving rain or snow is
| the least undesirable variety. IL is
| the slow-moving cyclone, bringin <
| moist. muggy weather. that is most to
| be dreaded. In the winter 1t takes the
| form of fog, which rests upon the earth
until the cold, heavy air of an anti
| cyclone comes and pushes it away In
| the summer it is a heat wave, whicn
| usually lasts until 1t is relieved by a
| thunder storm.
| AS we have said, the surest indica-
ton of an approaching cyclone is a
wind from the
Sure Indication of east. This tells
Coming Storm. S you .hat IT,, It is
| fore 1t arrives you will see number of
thin. WHISKY clouds high up in the air
and moving rapidly south and west.
They are what the scientists call cirrus
| and the sailors mares tails"
| These cirrus clouds are about the
| most reliable indication of the imme-
| uiate approach of the storm within the
observation OF the amateur. They are
caused by bits of vapor that fly Off
from the whirling cyclone and are
caught and condensed by the cold pre-
| vailing westerlies Of the upper spaces
These are the winds above the weather
| that move matestically from equator
| to pole, and they carry the little clouds
swiftly ahead of the storm, warning all
| that look upward.
There will usually be at least several
hours befWeep the fret r.po. = 9