Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-04-11

stage would then be set for cold late
springs and a limited movement OF
the arctic ice fields That in turn
would develop arctic abnormal Highs
and abnormal Atlantic and Paclf1c
Lows. This would have the double
effect of bringing up from the ocean
depths beneath the subtropical Lows
huge bodies of icy water and OF caus-
ing numerous arctic anti-cyclones to
sweep south all through the spring
and summer in a series of cold waves.
1t does not require constant cold to
destroy crops, but series OF killing
frosts and freezes.
Conditions in the polar ice cap de-
termine largely the location OF the
Aleutian Low. Let a warm winter be
followed by warm spring with the
ice fields clearing into the Atlantic at
an early date, the Aleutian Low will
move we'll to the North and weaken
until it is practically blended with the
general field of rising arctic pressure.
The Icelandic Low will follow suit,
and then both Atlantic and Pacific
Higs will be found moving north of
their normal stations. In the United
States warm currents will flow in and
move far to the north. But the ST.
berian High is weakened, and its
waves spread more toward the arctic,
anw what cyclonic Lows find their
way into the American continent are
too feeble to work south of the Great
Lakes and produce rain. A great
stagnant high pressure area will have
taken possession of the country and
severe drought is on. The dry winds
crossing the Rockies now sweep
across the heated plains and burn the
whitening crops like prairie fire.
DrOughts Have Hot, Too.
The country has suffered from nu-
merous dry periods, each originating
in certain of the causes here outlined.
Let these causes all be combined in a
single assault, and the country would
experience a drought of unprecedent-
ed severity.
The drought of 1881 was of wide ex-
tent. Abnormal conditions had APP
peared during the previous two years.
December, 1880, was one Of the warm
est Decembers ever recorded, and
January, 1881, the warmest east o.
the Rockies. The Canadian snow COW
err was thin and soon melted, contir-
nation of the theory that its early de-
parture is a contributing cause o.
droughts in the States. During May
the cool Lows, whose normal pro-
gress well south of the Great Lakes
gives the saving rains, were drifting
east above latitude As, and the in
evitable deficiency in rainfall which
had begun in April continued until
late September.
The entire country east of the Mis-
sissippi was under the spell, and dur
ing July and August Kansas and Ar
kansas were affected. In August, the
Middle Atlantic states received less
than one-third their normal rainfall,
and the Ohio Valley less than one
eighth. By September the situation
north of the Ohio and east OF the Mis-
sissippi clear to the coast had be
come hopeless. Streams had fallen
to their lowest stages and the crops
were either killed or so badly injured
as to not pay for the harvesting.
severe drought in July and August,
1876, extended from Maine to Virginia
and west into Ohio with rainfall OF
less than an inch. In 1885 the
drought was marked in Northeast Da-
kota and Northwest Minnesota. Dur
ing June and July the dry area in
Guided five other states with extensive
crop damage.
The year 1920 saw the southwest
ern cattle ranges so stricken that the
government had to intervene to aid In
getting the cattle almost bodily out
of the territory. The northwest grain
belt Jared nearly as badly.
Both 1920 and 1921 saw large areas
of intense drought, and the latter
wear witnessed the failure of the Rus
sian grain crop and the most de-
structive famine in the history OF
that country.
In the period from September, 1920
to July 1921, inclusive, light north
ern snow cover and early high arctic
temperatures paved the way 1or
droughts. The country filled with
stagnant high areas and the arctic
cyclones were too weak to d1Slodge
them. The Lows were nearly A per
cent above their average NUMBER, Dut
this was the mark of a warm arctic
whose signpost, the Aleutian Low,
was far north of it's proper place, or
Atlantic and Pacific Highs moved TO
the north, and sluggish atmospheric
conditions generally.
The year 1922 just closed is the
third in succession of striking alb
normalities and worldwide weather
disturbances. The Russian drought
of 1921 and a serious famine in China
are included, with every country IN
Europe suffering severely during the
past five years. Since the record OF
1922 will have strong bearing on
what may happen during 1923, its
record should be examined with care.
It's first abnormality was the record
breaking snowstorm which swept up
the South and Middle Atlantlc states
January 1928. Richmond had 10
inches of snow, Washington %, Balti-
more 26, Wilmington, Delaware, IL,
Philadelphia II, and points farther
north and east lessening amounts.
This storm finds repetition a year
later in the great gale which swept
the whole length OF the Atlantlc coast
tho last week of December, 1922,
orocsod tho ocean with increasing in