The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-01-18
FRENCH CLIMATE
Is UNPLEASANT
WEATHER COLD
Warming-Up In Spring Not
So Noticeable AS In u. S.;
Summer Is Fine.
1T RAINS FREQUENTLY

fBy Associated Press to The Bannerl
COLUMBUS, Jan. 17-What about
the climate in France? What about
the probable effect of weather upon
erations of the American soldiers in
France? Is there much difference in
the climate and weather there from
that in the United States?
These questions pour into practi-
cally all the weather bureaus of the
United States daily and have become
apparently of such general interest
that the Ohio section, climatological
service of the weather bureau, L. S.
department of agriculture. has pro-
cured information from Washington
the queries that people of Ohio are
making since Ohio soldiers reached
the western front.
Winter weather in France is .rath.
er rigorous and unpleasant says
statement isued by the local weather
bureau This is due to persistence
Of comparatively low temperatures,
much cloudiness and frequent rain
and snow. The winds blow mostly
from the west and southwest and are
frequently damp and chilly. Winter
ingly short. In the extreme northern
portion of France near the present
battle lines, sunset in December was
a little before 4 O'Clock in the after
noon and sunrise about o'clock in
the morning, making the nights about
lG 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 to 4 degrees warmer
are moderately cool and not unpleas-
ant the length of the day increases
much more rapidly than in the Unit
ed States and there is a correspond
ingly large increase in the amount
of sunshine. Rainfall is comparative
ly light but it occurs frequently.
Summers are more pleasant than
those in the United tSates. Day tenn
peratures are moderate and the
nights cool. Heat is not excessive
and heated periods are Of short dur
at ly I,it lnt ,f in
both in intensity and frequency. This
usually is the season of maximum
rainfall.
The geographical position of Bel
GUM and France, it appears from in
Quiries to the department, are not
very we'll known to most people.
They lie about as far north as the
section between Boston and New.
foundland. MarseTles, the most
southerly important city of France, is
farther north than Boston, while Par
than Chicago. Brussels is more than
30 miles farther north than Winni
( peg, Canada.
1t would be expected, the weather
/ bureau says, that in view of the loca-
tion so far north as compared with
! Ohio, that France would be colder
than Ohio, but its climate is affected
] by the Atlantic ocean, from which
prevailing winds come, these not be-
+ ing broken by mountain barriers in
reaching the interior. Since large
bodies of water heat slowly and cool
slowly, more steady temperature
results. The warmth from the At
/ lantic ocean, which keeps France and
Belgium from being very cold is from
! the Atlantic drift, originating in the
! lsJcalled Gulhstream, which trana
ports warm water from the Gulf of
Mexico Normal westerly winds car
ry the warmth to adjacent land.
at is Of interest to note says
the weather bureau, that while
llrest, on the western coast of France
has about the same latitude as Dev-
! IFS Lake, n, H.. the average January
temperature at Brest under these
marine influences Is 44', while at
Devils Lake it is about zero. Brests
lowest temperature seldom is as cold
as zero, On the other hand, owing
to less rapid cooling of the ocean
water, the July average temperature
at Brest is ga, while at Devils Lake
II is 6Se."
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 Chi
cago Is one and one.half times as