The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-12-21
EARTHQUAKE
NOT CAUSE OF
MILD WEATHER
But o. w. Roberts, Weather
Observer, Speaking of Phe-
nOmena, Won't Give Cause
ALL RECORDS BROKEN
Last Four Months Averages
Five Degrees Above Nor
NAL, He Tells Engineers

Nope, the earthquake in Japan
isn't the cause of the mild fall and
winter in North Dakota.
At least that's the belief of O. W.
Roberts, weather observer Of the
Bismarck station But having ex-
pressed that conviction Mr.. Roberts
is not ready to attempt to say what
is the cause Of the mild weather.
Mr. Roberts was asked to speak
before the Bismarck chapter Of the
American Association of Engineers
at its dinner meeting at the McKen-
zie last night, on the subject, "Has
California Moved to North Dakota p
Records Broken.
"Statstics are generally dry at
best, so | shall quote as few as pos
sible," said Mr.. Roberts.
"The normal temperature for Bis
marck for the four fall and winter
months, September, October, Novem-
ber and December, is 3S.4 degrees.
The mean temperature during those
four months Ito date) during 1928
is 43.7 degrees, or more than 5 de-
grees above the normal. The aver
age snowfall for Bismarck during
those four months is 1873 inches,
yet during the past four months we
have had but an inch Of snow. and
that disappeared within 72 hours
after it fell.
The question naturally arises,
"Why this delightful weather." You
would be surprised to learn of the
mum ber of people who call up the
weather Bureau Office, or stop its
employees on the streets and else
where to inquire as to whether or
not the earthquake in Japan was the
cause Of such mild weather My
answer to that question is "No." II
is very probable that if a vast rear
rangement of the ocean bottom in
the vicinity of the japanese current
occurred, it might affect the climate
OF the Coast States, but l do not be-
lleve that such u Encouragement has
taken place. Further, there is
nothing in the weather over the Coast
States during the past four months
to lead one to believe that such a
change has taken place. Therefore,
the present balmy weather is in my
opinion in no manner due to the re-
cent catastrophe in Japan.
How then to account for present
weather conditions? . There is no
logical explanation, which l can offer,
and any attempted explanation would
be pure conjecture. In comparing
the weather during the present fall
and winter with those during the
past fifty years, there has not been,
even in the memory of the oldest in
hsbitant, and believe me some of
those memories are very, very long,
that can approach in mildness and
deficiency of snowfall, the fall and
winter season of 1923.
Not All, He Hopes.
Further answering the question
assigned him, Mr.. Roberts inferred
the hope that not all California
weather had moved to North Dakota.
For instance, Greenland Ranch,
California, has an annual maximum
temperature of over 100 degrees, and
it has reached 1874 degrees above
Zero During the winter freezing
temperatures are common, while dur
ing June, July and August the mer-
curry goes up to 100 or above almost
every day.
Compare the hourly sunshine in
winter in North Dakota with the fog
gy coast weather in California, where
day after day work in large Office
is only accomplished by the
use Of electric lights throughout the
day." said Mr.. Roberts. "Practically
all of you have experienced driving
a car in the mud and in the fog at
night; that is common in California.
When we taken into consideration the
so-called Indian summer, the short
hot period Of summer, and the abb
sence of severe storms. they Offset
to large measure the winters cold,
and taken as a whole our climate is
far more conducive to health, long,
evity and success than is that of
j. N. Roherty president at the
engineers meeting. L. K. Thomp-
son, agent of the 500 line here,
spoke upon railroad rates and trans
portation, showing how the costs Of
operation of the railroads. had in
creased remarkably in the last few
years, and the necessity for high
rates to provide the service demand
al Of them