Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-26

statement issued by the local weather
bureau. This Is due to persistence OF
comparatively low temperatures. much
cloudlness and frequent rain and snow
"rhe winds blow mostly from the
west and southwest and arc frequently
damp and chilly. Winter nights arc
long and days correspond!ngly short.
In the extreme northern portion OF
France. near the present battle lines,
sunset in December was a little before
o'clock in the afternoon and sunrise
about s o'clock IN the morning, max
Ing tho nights about siXtXeen hours
long,"
The rapid warming up when spring
comes Is not so noticeable as in the
United States, the weather bureau says.
The average Temperature in March IS
only two to four degrees warmer than
In February. April and May are mod
orately cool and not unpleasant: the
length Of the day increases much more
rapidly than in the United States and
there Is a correspondence large In
crease in the amount Of sunshine,
Rainfall Is comparatively light but it
occurs frequently.
Summers are more pleasant than
those in the United States. Day tenn
peratures are moderate and the nights
cool Heat Is not excessive and heated
periods are Of short duration usually.
Fall brings lots of rain. both lin in
tenslty and frequency. This usually IS
the season OF maximum rainfall.
The geographical position of France
and Belgium, it appears from inquiries
- 1b,> ,,,{,,,a ant
known to most people They lie about
as far north as the section between
Boston and New Foundland. 'Marseilles
the most southerly important city or
France Is father north than Boston
while Paris is nearly 500 miles farther
north than Chicago. Brussels is more
than fifty miles farther north than
Winnipeg. Canada.
1t would be expected. the weather
bureau says. that In view Of the loca-
ton SO far north as compared with
Ohio. that France would be colder than
Ohio, but its climate is affected by tho
Atlantic ocean, from which prevailing
winds come. these not being broken
by mountain barriers IN reaching tho
interior Since large bodies Of water
heat slowly and cool slowly. a more
steady temperature results. Tn"
warmth from the Atlantic ocean. which
keeps France and Belgium from being
very cold, is from the Atlantic drift,
originating in the so-called gulf stream
which transports warm water from the
Gulf Of Mexico. Normal westerly
winds carry the warmth to adjacent
land.
1T is Of interest to note" the wealth
err bureau says, that while Brest. on
the western coast of France. has about
the same latitude as Devils Lake. N.
D.. the average January temperature
at Brest under these conditions is Al
degrees, while at Devils Lake it is
about zero. BreStS lowest temporal
ture seldom is as cold as zero. while
Devils Lake has been as cold as 60
degrees below zero. On the other hand,
owing to less rapid cooling Of tho ocean
water, the July average temperature Mt
Brest Is Ga degrees, while at Devils
Lake 1t is 6S degrees"
Rainfall in New Orleans Is three
times as heavy as in Paris. but it Is
considerably more frequent in Paris.
The average annual rainfall Of Chicago
Is one and one-half times as large rs
in France and Belgium; at New York
more than twice as large