Evening journal., 1918-04-02
SUMNER IS COOL
ON battlefront
Americans Will Escape Tor
rid Weather Usual in
United States
RAINFALL IN U. S.
IS MUCH GREATER

WASHINGTON, April . 2.-American
soldiers on the battlefronts in France
probably will escape our American tor
rid hot spells Of summer and our bllz-
zardy winters. extremes Of heat and
cold in France being less severe They
may expert, however, periods Of sus-
tained cold In the trenches, cold Of the
moist, penetrating character, peculiar
to the continental climate Of northern
Europe, but in general no startling
change from weather conditions at
home.
An exhaustive study Of the subject
by Preston c. Day, chief Of the eli
matologlcal division Of the Weather
Bureau, shows that winter in northern
France IS not so severe from the stand
point OF low temperatures, but there
Is a constancy Of moderately cold
weather which is not usually expert
enced In the United States. Rather low
temperatures sometimes occur there
but such extremity OF cold weather as
was experienced last winter in the
United States Is unknown. The cold
est weather Of record in northern
France ranges from about zero, Fahr-
enheit, TO ten degrees below.
Summer in northern France is cool
as compared with most Of the United
states, the average temperature Tor
July and August the warmest months
being sixty-three TO sixty-nve degrees,
even lower than along our northern
border. Moderately hot weather some
times occurs but extremely high tenn
iperatures, such as occasionally are ex-
perlenced In much Of United STATES, are
unknown In France. Temperature as
high as 100 never has been reported
in France, while in the United states
100 and 40 degrees have occurred gen
orally.
With the transition from winter Ia
spring, the rapid warming up, familiar
TO residents in most sections Of the
United States, Is not so noticeable IN
France, the average temperature for
March being only two to four degrees
higher than for February. April and
May are moderately cool and not un-
pleasant The length Of the day in
creases much more rapidly than In
most sections Of the United states, and
there IS a correspondlngly large in
crease in the amount Of sunshine, while
rainfall IS comparatively light, al
though occurring rather frequently.
The summers are pleasant as com
pared with much OF the United States
the day temperature being mostly mod
crate and the nights cool Occasionally
hot weather Is experienced, but the
heat Is not so excessive, and the heated
periods are usually Of short duration
Fall also Is usually pleasant, espe-
cislly IN September and October. The
rainfall usually becomes heavier, how
ever.
The battlefronts Of France lie in q
latitude north Of the United States
Paris Is farther north than any poini
in the United States, being 500 miles
nearer the North Pole than Chicago
Along the northern coasts Of Hanc'
temperatures are similar TO those Of
our northern Pacific coast, the monthly
average at Dunkirk. France. and Seattle
Washington, being Identical FOR nearly
han the months Of the year, and differ
ing only slightly for other months.
MOI considering the higher mountains
rainfall In the eastern half Of the
United States. especially in the south
is much greater than In France. Com
pared with Paris, the average rainfall
at Chicago is one and one-half time:
as large; at New York, more than
twice as large ana az 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 4, In
elusive, although IL rarely. attalns any
considerable depth on the ground. Al
the higher elevations Of eastern and
southern France, particularly in the
mountains bordering on Germany
where the winters are long and cold
snowfall Is more frequent and much
heavier.