The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-16
FRENCH climate
HAS NO TERRORS
FOR our TROOPS
Summer in France Is Cool
AS Compared to Most of
the United States.

Washington, March 16-American
soldiers on the battle fronts in France
will probably escape our American
torrid hot spells of summer and our
blizzardy winters, 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 char
acter peculiar to the continental eli
mate of northern Europe, but in gen.
eral no startling change from weather
conditions at home.
An exhaustive study of the subject
by Preston c. Day. chief of 1.-The eli
matological division of the Weather
Bureau, shows that winter in north
ern France is not so severe from the
standpoint of low temperatures, but
there is a constancy of moderately
cold weather which is not usually ex-
perienced in the United States
Rather low temperatures sometimes
occur 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 northern France ranges
from about zero, Fahrenheit, 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 IS degrees, even lower
than along our northern border Mod
erately hot weather sometimes oc-
ours, but extremely high tempera'
lures, such as occasionally are ex.
perienced 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 10 degrees have
occurred generally
With the translation from winter
to spring the rapid warming up, ia
miliar to residents in most sections Of
the United States, is not so noticea-
BILE in France, the average tempera-
ture for March being only 2 to 4
degrees higher than for February.
April and May are moderately cool
and not unpleasant, the length of the
day increases much more rapidly
than in most sections of the United
States. and there is a correspondingly
large increase in the amount of sun
shine, while rainfall is comparatively
light, although occurring rather fire.
quently
The summers are pleasant as COM
pared with much of the United
States, the day temperatures being
mostly moderate and the nights cool
Occasionally hot weather is expert
enced, but the heat is not SO excessive
and the heated periods are usually of
short duration.
Fall also is usually pleasant, especi-
ally in September and October. The
rainfall usually becomes heavier,
however.
The battle fronts of France lie in a
latitude north of the United States.
Paris is farther north than any point
in the United States, being 500 miles
nearer the North Pole than Chicago.
Along the northern coasts of France
temperatures are very similar to
those of our northern Pacific coast,
the monthly average at Dunkirk,
France, and Seattle. washington, be-
ing identical for nearly half the
months of the year and differing only
slightly - other months
Not considering the higher noun
tains, rainfall in the eastern half of
the United States, especially in the
South, is much greater than in
France. Compared with Paris, the
average rainfall at Chicago is one and
one-half times as large; at New York,
| more than twice as large and at New
! Orleans, nearly three times as large.
Over the lowlands of northern
France snow is fairly frequent and
| may be expected from November to
| April, inclusive, although it rarely at
tains any considerable depth on the
ground. At the higher elevations of
eastern and southern France, particu-
| larly in the mountains bordering on
Germany where the winters are long
and cold snowfall is more frequent
| and much heavier.