Evening star., 1939-02-16
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henrle

And Study
BY Thomas r. Henry
Up to date this has been an excep-
tionally warm winter.
There has not been single week
since December l, when winter officially
starts in the Weather Bureau records,
that the average temperature for the
country as whole has not been far
above normal. Nor has there been a
week when the average for any one of
the eight major regions, into which the
Nation is divided for climate records,
has fallen quite so low as normal.
This is the answer of DR.. j. B. Kincer,
head Of the Weather Bureaus division
of climate and crop weather, to all re-
ports Of exceptional cold spells in some
places. Actually, Mr.. Kincers figures
show. the country has piled up an excess
of close to 40 degrees Fahrenheit-such
"A0G iIloI S1ll CAluV ~ COulu llOU NC WlDcu
out by extreme cold during the few
weeks left of winter.
The first week of winter, the compiled
reports to the Bureau show, was abnor-
mally warm. Only the Northeast and
Southwest experienced seasonal weather.
All the rest of the country had daily
& fo
is to be expected for early December
The next week produced heat wave
In California with the official thermome-
ter at Los Angeles hitting record Of
% degrees temperatures from 10 to IA
degrees above normal in the Northern
Plains States, and from to IS de-
grees above in the whole Northeastern
section. Only in the extreme Southwest
and In Wyoming were there limited areas
of sub-normal cold. so small that they
hardly made dent in the record.
Winters third week swung back very
close to normal for the country as a
whole. Temperatures were slightly be-
low the 40-year average for all the
country east of the Mississippi and frosts
were experienced along the Gulf and in
Florida. In the Northern Great Plains,
however, there was a warm spell which
just about balanced the cold for the rest
of the country and kept it out of the
deficit column.
Christmas week was remarkable in
showing temperature range of about
80 degrees for the country as whole
from 20 in North Dakota to 70 above
at Miami. Notwithstanding some abnor-
mally low temperatures in small areas,
the week was we'll above the average
for the Nation The great area included
in the central Mississippi and lower Mis-
souri, valleys piled up daily excuses of
from 4 to degrees while most
Of the East stayed close to the 40-year
average.
The first week Of January saw soar
ing temperatures between the Mississippi
and the Rockies and from the Rockies
to the Pacific. In the extreme North
west the days averaged from 10 to 10
above what would have been predicted.
Most OF the East had an excess of about
degrees daily, although subnormal
weather was experienced in a small Sec
tion of the central. South and along the
Texas coast.
For the country as whole the second
week Of January was one of the warmest
ever recorded. Through all the Mis-
sissippi Valley, DR.. Kincer says, the
weather was such as ordinarily would
be expected early in April. Freezing
temperatures were not experienced any,
where south of New York or Southern
Indiana. Only the extreme upper lake
region had weather slightly colder than
normal for this time.
Winters seventh week hit very close
to normal for the country as a whole,
with freezing weather, billiards. and
snow almost everywhere, but the North
western Plains States kept the slate clean
by piling up daily excesses of from
to 13 degrees over the seasonal average.
II it hadn't been for the cold spell fruit
growers might have lost millions for
trees were showing signs of budding
everywhere because of the long stretch
OF spring-like weather.
Spring g-in-winter came back with a
vengeance the next week with daily
excesses of temperature ranging as high
as II degrees in the Northwest. The
Northeast, however. had slight deicien-
cies and it was somewhat cooler than
normal in the extreme Southeast The
last week in January saw the tempera-
lures for the country as whole bal
anced close to the normal line, with the
Mississippi River acting as the balancing
point. The thermometers ranged Slight
ly above normal to the westward and
below to the eastward.
Thus far February has remained close
to the winter normal, Mr.. Kincer says,
with extreme cold in most of the North