Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-03-07
WEATHER BUREAU
NOW RECOGNIZED
Prof Wright Gets Local Station
Listed by U. S.; Interesting Notes
About January Weather


Der, 1928, through the efforts of
Professors D. D. Dougherty and ].
7. c. Wright, the Appalachian State
Normal School set up local wealth
er station for the purpose of taking
readings of temperatures, rainfall,
snowfall, barometric pressures, di-
rection OF prevailing winds, and any
phenomena or other facts about
climatology that might occur from
day to day. On December 1, the
local station operator, Prof. J. T.
c. Wright, began readings of the in
struments. These consist of a maxi
mum and minimum thermometer of
the "U' type, a recording thermome-
ter, barometer, a rain guage and
a snow guage. The purpose of the
maximum thermometer is to record
the highest and lowest points reached
by the thermometer during any day.
The recording thermometer leaves a
trace in red ink on a record sheet
of the temperatures at all times dur
ing the day. A person can look at
this chart and tell the temperature at
any time during the day that he may
wish to know about. These records
are kept on file and properly dated
the daily temperatures. The barom-
eter gives the pressure of the atmos-
phere. 1t also forecasts the weather.
A person who has been properly ini-
tiated can forecast the weather more
or less accurately about II hours in
advance. The rain and snow guage
is to catch any rain or snow that
may fall. This is measured by
special rule made for that purpose
and is then recorded.
After the close of December, the
operator sent report of the month
to the state weather bureau. He in
formed them that he would be glad
to send in these reports monthly if
they desired to have them. They re-
piled that they would be glad to
have them. They sent some pam
phlets about how to read and record
the weather and wrote that they
would recognize the station as CO.
operative station of the U. S. wealth
er bureau if certain changes were
made and if readings were given as
they outlined. An application blank
was filled out and sent to Raleigh
giving in detail a description of the
instruments and other facts concern
ing which they desired information.
A few days ago the state weather
bureau informed Prof. Wright that
the station at Boone was now consid-
cred U. S. weather bureau CO.
operative station. The reports sent
in will be recorded in its reports and
published just the same as those
from any other station.
A few interesting facts about the
weather during January are given
below:
Average maximum temperature so
degrees.
Average minimum temperature 26
degrees.
Average temperature 3S degrees.
Highest temperature during month
rs degrees on January 18.
Lowest temperature during month
degrees on January 8.
Average daily range in tempera-
ture, from low to high, "a degrees.
Greatest daily range in tempera-
ture AZ degrees on January IA.
Total precipitation 3.55 inches.
Greatest precipitation in "a hours,
1856 in hes on January 5.
Total snowfall 1 Il inches.
Number of days with 01 inch or
more precipitation, IL.
Clear days II, partly cloudy days,
5, cloudy days, Is.
Sleet on January 5th and 9th.
Direction of prevailing wind for
the month was west.
The Democrat hopes to publish
reports of the local station each
month