Evening star., 1933-01-25
~ THOMAS r. HENRY.

This unreasonable Sprins In JAnu.
ary. which has continued almost un-
broken since the first Of the year ir
this part of the country. depends fol
its continuance primarily upon two
conditions existing more than 5000
miles apart. 1t was explained at the
Weather Bureau yesterday.
First IS the meteorological condition
in the valley OF the Mackenzie River
extending from the Arctic Coast east
OF the Alaska Mountains and down into
Northern Canada east Of the Rockies
Second is the condition Of the atmos-
phere over approximately the Island oi
Bermuda
Cold must come from somewhere
Generally speaking. 1t comes from the
North Pole and the Arctic Ocean. The
Mackenzie Valley Is one Of the two
great sluices through which the cold
air escapes from Ms Arctic reservoir
so happens that Washington Is directly
affected by the Mackenzie Valley con-
ditions and only indirectly, or infre-
quently, by the other great cold-air
sluice-HudsOn Bay and the St. Law
renee Valley-through which Eastern
Canada, New England and New York
draw their supplies of zero weather.
Because Of this perhaps the for most
vital spots on the weather map. SO far
as Washington Is concerned. are four
Canadian observing stations along the
Mackenzie At Fort Simpson. Copper
mine, Fort Smith and Fort Norman
from which daily reports are received
Together they constitute q sort OF
weather pulse for the continent. When
abnormal temperatures are reported
from these stations Washington can
prepare for cold weather if-but only
H-conditions are propitious for 1t on
the other side Of the continent over
Bermuda. or the South Atlantic Coast
OF the United States.
Little Cold This Year.
Now 1t so happens. the first point
In the explanation Of this abnormal
Spring. that there hasn't been much
cold weather in the Mackenzie Valley
this month. OF course. 1t Is frightfully
cold there anyway for the weather OBJ
server in those lonely mining camps in
the Arctic wilderness. 20 below zero
being . mere routine matter. The mer-
cury must 90 lower than that to excite
comment. Actually. during this month,
1t has been up around zero and even
higher. Only once has it gone down
below normal, to AZ below.
When a great mass Of cold air accu-
mulates in the Mackenzie Valley-the
so-called Mackenzie hight must move
on. "LOws'-masseS Of lighter, warmer
air-automatically are built up in front
Of 1t, like pioneers preparing a path
for 1t. At break-neck speed the mass
of cold air comes down through Western
Canada east Of the Rockies and into the
United States. Then, Is . general rule
it is turned eastward across the South
western and South Central States and
three or four days after leaving the
Arctic. is likely to strike the neigh
borhood Of Washington II there is moth
ing to stop it. II the accumulation OF
cold air IS exceptionally heavy. accord
ing to Weather Bureau observers, it may
even push its way down out Of the
Arctic by its own weight without the
aid of any road breaking lows. This
does not necessarily mean that on q
cold day Washingtonians breath the
very same air which has come from
the Mackenzie. It appears to be the
cold which travels, rather than the air
itself.
Now the Bermuda high enters the pic
ture-a stagnant high pressure area
which exists a good deal Of the time
with its center approximately over the
island Of Bermuda, but whose borders
extend westward rs far as the Appala-
chians and sometimes even across them.
When . high" hits . high" one Of
The other must give way. When the Mae