The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1931-02-05
JAM, 1881, Warmest
in Fifty-One Winters
Mercury Goes Below Zero Only
Once Against Twenty-Five
Times Last Year

Times Last Year
Winters contrary behavior reache
an extreme that is believed to be un
precedented in the history of meteor
illogical records Sunday as balm,
zephyrs greeted February with
warmth that sent the mercury soar
ing to So degrees.
February started out with all indi
cations of even lettering the Januar!
record, which is believed to have beer
the warmest January in 81 whit
ers. Proof that February is to be {
continuation of the warm spell be-
came apparent Monday by virtue Of
the time-honored prophet, Mr.
Grounding.
Didn't See Shadow
Proverbial groundhogs were having
a great time February 2 on the slopes
and valleys around Redwood Falls foa
there were no shadows to brighten
then back into hiding for six more
weeks, which according to legendary
belief indicates that spring is nigh
at hand. To the south Of here in the
neighborhood of Albert Lea, Mr.
Grounding merely stuck his nose out
of the hole and scooted back to snore
for six weeks more.
Sunday golfers were lured from
their homes to the links, while the
bright skies and warming sun was
occasion for holiday exodus to the
outdoors and the parks which had all
the aspects of painting June picture
on February calendar.
Last year February 1880, was the
warmest in 40 years it is believed
when there were only two days below
zero, and maximum temperature of
81 was recorded on the 10Th. The
extreme high temperature since 1891
for the month of February was 81 on
the 26, 1896.
Answer Poets Query
What is so rare as a 1881 January?
That is question all old timers have
tried to answer, though the poets
query what is so rare as a day in
June" has been found. 1t was a day
in 1881 January. Recollections differ
as to the previous mildest January.
N. B. Andersen, local weather observ-
err, recalls the winter 1880 when
the ducks and geese stayed all year,
and farmers ploughed while road
workers kept on unhindered. D. A.
Noble, pioneer Cottonwood county
citizen, remembers that it did not
snow at all that winter, and the first
moisture came on July 5, he told the
Cottonwood Citizen.
Below Zero Only Once
January's mean temperature was
28.8 compared with 7.2 degrees in
1880. The warmest day was Thurs
day, January 20, when the mercury
reached it's peak at SO degrees, COM
pared with 46 on the 9Th last year.
The coolest first month mark was ten
below on Wednesday, the 14th, COM
pared with rs below on January II
last year. On only one occasion did
the temperature go below zero during
January 1881, while last year SUBJ
zero weather gripped the country for
% continuous days.
In speaking of mean temperature
mean indicates the average for the
entire day, hot and cold combined.
"Mean maximum" means the average
of the high marks, while "mean mini
mum" means the average for the low
marks. Minimum is the lowest tenn
perature recorded in "a hours, while
maximum is the highest.
Mean maximum for January was
4O.4 degrees, and the mean minimum
was 17.2. Sunshine was abundant on
Is days and the others were mostly
"partly cloudy" On January first
there was a range of 35 degrees, the
widest range during this first month
period.
Covering 40 year period the mean
maximum for the Minnesota section
for January is ZIG degrees, and the
mean minimum AT, while the mean
temperature is 1871. These compare
tive figures indicate how much above
normal were the temperatures of
January, 1881.
Signs of Spring
Farmers have been taking advan-
tage of the spring like January by
doing the many odd jobs usually left
until March and April. Travellers
have told of farmers out in the field
dragging and raking cornstalks. H.
G. Werder said that he disked all day
the last of January and the ground
worked good.
Bees have been observed to be
humming about. Although some have
reported that robins and other spring
birds are here its authenticity has not
been confirmed. Grass and plant
shoots are beginning to send out
blades of green to meet the suns
warm rays, and buds have begun to
form on trees and shrubbery. C. A.
Lauterbach and S. w. Limburg
brought to the Gazette office a bou-
quet of pussy-willows that they found
below the Redwood river bridge.
Fuel Sales 20 Percent Less
Roller skates have been hunted out
of Easements and attics and the chill
dren have had grand time. Variety