Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-16
WEATHER IN
FRANCE BETTER
THAN IN j. S.
American Soldiers Will Not
Experience Extreme Cold
and Heat.

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 character pc
culiar to the continental climate 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 cli-
matological division Of the weather
bureau, shows that winter in northern
France is not so severe from the
standpoint of low temperatures. but
there is constancy of moderately
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 un-
known. The coolest weather of record
in northern France ranges from about
zero, Fahrenheit, to 10 degrees be-
low.
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 65 degrees, even lower
than along our northern border Mod
/ but extremely high temperatures,
such as occasionally are experienced
; in much of the United States, are un-
, known in France. Temperature as
high as 100 never has been reported
in France, while in the United States
100 to ITO degrees have occurred gem
orally. 80
With the transition from winter to
spring the rapid warming up, familiar
to residents in most sections of the
United States is not so noticeable III
France the average, temperature for
March being only 9 to degrees high
er than for February. April and May
are moderately cool and not unpleas-
ant. the length Of the day increases
much more rapidly than in most sec
tions of the United States, and there
is correspondingly large increase IN
the amount of sunshine. while rain
fall is comparatively light, although
occurring rather frequently.
The summers are pleasant as COM
pared with much of the United States.
; the day temperatures being mostly
moderate and the nights cool. Occa-
sionally hot weather is experienced.
but the heat is not SO excessive ana
the heated periods are usually Of
short duration.
ran also is usually peasant, eSpe-
cially in September and October. The
rainfall usually becomes heavier, how
ever.
The battlefronts 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 Dunki1k. France.
!. and Seattle, Washington, being iden,-
ical for nearly half the months OF the
ye:r and differing only slightly for
otter months.
:, Not considering the higher raoun-
tains, rainfall in the eastern half Of
the United States especially in the
t 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.
i; Over the lowlands OF northern
Trance snow is fairly frequent and
may ;e expected from November t.,
: April, inclusive. although it rarely at
$ tains Sconsiderable depth on the
+ ground. At the higher elevations or
eastern and southern France, particu-
larly in the mountains bordering on
Germany where the winters are long
E and cold, snowfall is more frequent
and much heavier