Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-24
MONTANA WINTERS
LESS SEVERE THAN
IN NEW ENGLAND
Weather Man Declares Stef.
anss0n Is Unjustified in
Arctic Comparison.
Special to The Tribune.

CpcCldA u Iue Tribune.
Helena, Jan. 23-WiiIiam T. Lath-
rop, section director of the United
States weather bureau here, declares
that Vilhjalmar Stefansson is not justi-
fled in comparing the climate of the
Arctic regions with that of portions
Of Montana. He replied in this man
ner when he was asked by TIE Tri-
bune correspondent to state his views
upon Stefansson's article in the De-
cember Worlds Work, entitled 'The
North That Never Was" in which the
explorer made the assertion that the
Arctic climate was no more severe
than it is in some parts Of Montana.
Since the article appeared it has been
discussed editorially in several of the
newspapers of the state.
"'The North That Never Was is an
excellent article, and in its bearing
upon Arctic conditions it is not neces-
sarily discredited by the reference to
and comparison with the cold of Mon
tana," said Mr.. Lathrop.
Other Sections Colder
Editor R. G. Linebarger Of the
Havre Promoter picked up Stefansson
neatly enough upon his singing out the
Havre section for comment, when east
ern North Dakota and northwestern
Minnesota, sections with which Mr..
Stefanson presumably is more familiar,
are colder than Montana. The fact that
an extreme occurred elsewhere does
not remove the fact that those Sec
tons average considerably the colder.
From experience in Montana anG
western North Dakota and in New
England, / have found that tie Mon
tana winters average less severe thar
those of New England, notwithstand-
ing that lower temperatures are re.
corded here. The balance in favor Of
Montana is due to two things. First
the lower relative humidity, and, see
ond, the lower average wind move
ment at times of extreme cold. Low
temperatures, with a high humidity
and strong or even fresh wind, are
fering than the dry. quiet cold thai
praised by Mr.. Stefausson, there il
high humidity and there is stronger
wind movement than ours. One ex-
petition to Point Barrow, alaska, il
a little less than two years OF observa
tons (1SS1-S3), brought back record
Of one maximum velocity of 100 E1iles
an hour. / do not suggest that this
is typical of the wind movement there
it may not be. But unfortunately il
occurred.
Not Ali Eskimos
ITO suggest, because of the occur
renee of low minimum temperature
in Montana, that the Arctic ittora
climate ia more agreeable than our IL
a gratuitous slam. Of course, tie mar
may prefer it,-but everybody 20 his
taste. We can't all be Eskimos.
THE highest temperature ever of
ficially observed in Montana was liz
degrees at Glasgow, up in the same
neighborhood that has been uuder dis.
cussion. That is higher than has ever
been recorded at Havana. Cuba, or at
Port of Spain. in the island Of Trini.
dad, West Indies. which is within Il
degrees Of the equator. Arc we te
say, because of that, that Glasgow *
warmer than Havana or Port Of ~nain
or the West Indian islands generally
Not by jugful. In heat as well Us
in cold, the humidity is highly I'M.
portant factor in determining climate
/ have sweltered on the Gulf coast OF
Texas with the temperature only IS
degrees; and who hasn't, that has beer
in Galveston with the wind off the
Gulf? The heat of Chicago ard New
York is more distressing and more
deadly than the heat of Yuma, because
1t is damper."