Evening star., 1916-01-01
WEATHER.

Practically everything that happened
during 1915 was blamed on the war in
Europe. Shipwrecks, conf1agrations,
explosions. inflated fortunes. epidemics
somebody was always to be found to
blame any or all of these on the Euro
pean conflict. When Washington and
vicinity experienced May day in early
January last year many wiseacres said
the war was responsible This was
January Z, and the following day the
ice all went out of the Potomac by
reason of the nseasoHable tempera-
ture.
Then. on January 13. when the entire
eastern coast, as well as this immedi-
ate vicinity, was scourged by gale
that reached velocity of SIXTY miles
an hour. the same cause was assigned.
The deluge of rain that accompanied
this storm and wrought havoc all
around =" Washington was due to the
war likewise. according to the same
authorities. That rain was SO heavy
that the Eastern branch overfiowed
until Bladensburg people had to get
to work pumping the water out of
their cellars, while train schedules on
roads entering the capital were seri-
ously disarranged.
Too Cloudy for Ground Hog.
The ground hog failed to see his
shadow February and believers in
the animal as weather prognosticat-
or were much cheered; but a heavy
fall of snow and a season of cold
weather gave the war party another
chance to become gleeful Bluebirds
and other harbingers of spring sent
thrills of joy over Washingtonians
about February 22, and people talked
about these sure signs of spring."
Then along came another snowstorm
March 5, which turned the streets into
streams of slush, followed by a cold
wave March IS. More Il told you So
business from the war people. Spring
arrived on schedule time March 21, and
ington April 3. coincident with the To-
cation of spot 100000 miles long on
the sun.
The entire east was stormbound dur
ing the period April ga, the blizzard
being Washingtons worst April storm
be winters expiring effort. as mid
summer weather about April 26
brought out straw hats in numbers, the
thermometers at the weather bureau
setting new April records, while near
by regions sent in complaints of
drought conditions. No rain of any
consequence, however. fell until May
u, when the dry spell was broken.
Hot Weather in June.
Memorial day brought the usual wet
weather, the rainy spell continuing for
one week. More hot weather came
along about June Is. when the weather
bureaus forecasts were for "unseason-
able temperatures for several days A
disastrous hailstorm did heavy damage
in nearby Maryland June %. Begin
ming early in July. the entire country
was swept by a hot wave that took a
heavy toll of life in all of the larger
cities, though few heat fatalities were
recorded in Washington. Toward the
began. general electrical storms over
the country marking its advent, with
a snowstorm on Lake Superior August
2. The weather. bureau announced Of
f1cially August that the hot wave was
broken. Thunderstorms. cool weather
and more blame for the war in Europe
filled the period to August II. when
the big West Indian hurricane had its
millions of dollars of damage at Gal
weston, Texas City and other gulf
points. and gave this vicinity a scare
Following this outburst of the ele-
Chicago reporting the coldest August
temperature on record August 81,
which was also Washington's coolest
day of the summer. Snow fell in Ten
nessee September 6, but within a week
the country was sweltering in the
most unbearable heat of the year,
when in many cities the schools were
compelled to close because uhpils could
not stand the high temperature. This
torrid spell did not disappear until
September IS.
Washingtons first frost)ef the pres
ent season occurred October g. The
first ice reported formed on Four Mile
first snow observed fell the afternoon
of November 10. Ice formed on the
river December 1, and heavy snow
fell December 13. The fine weather of
the week preceding Christmas is too
recent to require comment, though
Christmas night, with its rain and
snow. followed by the gale that rocked
houses and blew, signs and awnings
away. was very poor finish to ians