The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-16
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
WILL ESCAPE TORRIDITY
Summers in France Are Not So Hot as
in the United States-Paris Is 500
Miles Nearer North Pole
Than Chicago.

| Washington, March l6.-American sol
diers on the battle fronts in France will
| probably escape our American torrid hot
spells of summer and our blizzardy win.
ters extremes of heat and cold in France
being less severe. They may expect
| however, periods of sustained cold in the
| trenches, cold of the moist, penetrating
character peculiar to the continental eli
mate of northern Europe, but in general
no startling change from weather condi-
| tions at home.
An exhaustive study of the subject by
Preston C. Day, chief of the climatologi-
cal division of the weather bureau, shows
that winter in northern France is not so
severe from the standpoint of low tenn
peratures. but there is constancy of
moderately cold weather which is not
usually experienced in the United States.
Rather low temperatures sometimes oc-
cur there, but such extremity of cold
weather as has been experienced this
winter in the United States, is unknown.
The coolest weather of record in north
ern France ranges from about zero, Fab
renheit, to 10 degrees below.
Summer in northern France is cool, as
compared with most of the United
States, the average temperature for July
and August, the warmest months, being
63 to 50 degrees. even lower than along
our northern border. Moderately hot
weather sometimes occurs, but extremely
high temperatures, such as occasionally
are experienced in much of the United
States, are unknown in France. Tenn
perature as high as 100 never has been
reported in France, while in the United |
States 100 to ll0 degrees have occurred |
With the transition from winter to |
spring the rapid warming up, familiar to
residents i'll most sections of the United |
States, is not so noticeable in France, /
the average temperature for March being I
only two to four degrees higher than for
February. April and May are moder
ately cool and not unpleasant, the length
Of the day increases much more rapidly
than in most sections of the United
States, and there is correspondingly
arge increase in.the amount Of sunshine,
while rainfall is comparatively light, al
.hough occurring rather frequently.
The summers are pleasant as compared
With much of the United States, the day
being mostly moderate and
he nights cool. Occasionally hot wealth
II is experienced, but the heat is not SO
Excessive and the heated periods are
Usually of short duration.
Fall also is usually pleasant, especially
n September and October. The rainfall
Usually becomes heavier however.
The battle fronts of France lie in a
attitude north of, the United States. Par
) is farther north than any point in
he United States, being 500 miles nearer
he north pole than Chicago. Along the
orthern coast, the monthly average at
)unkirk. France, and Seattle, Wash, be-
ne identical for nearly half the months
/ the year and differing only slightly
or other months.
Not considering the higher mountains,
ainfall in the eastern half of the United
tates, especially in the south, is much
reater than in France Compared with =,
aris, the average rainfall at Chicago is
ne and onehaff times as large; at New !,
ork, more than twice as large and at !;
ew Orleans, nearly three times as large. :,
Over the lowlands of northern France
now is fairly frequent and may be ex- =
ected from November to April, inclu . :,
We, although it rarely attains any con- +
derabe depth on the ground. AT the ;,
igher elevations of eastern and south
n France, particularly in the mountains ;
ordering on Germany, where the win :,
RS are long and cold, snowfall is more y
'equent and much heavier. y