Evening star., 1940-05-25
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms 'Aa
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field. Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henri.


And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
Everywhere east of the Rocky Noun
tains spring is from 10 days to two weeks
late.
This is the conclusion Of DR.. J. B.
Kincer, chief climatologist of the United
States Weather Bureau, after studying
reports from observers throughout the
entire area on the progress of crops,
leafing OF trees and blossoming Of shrubs.
Summer in the calculations OF the
Weather Bureau, starts June /. 1t is
too late now for anything to happen to
change the general picture OF one of
the most remarkable springs on record,
Mr.. Kincer says. Since January / only
out of II weeks have risen barely
above the temperature normal, while IL
every week for the past three months
has been cooler than average.
West Of the Rockies the picture has
been diametrically opposite. The Pacific
Coast States have experienced one of the
warmest winters and springs on record,
with only of the II weeks barely dip
ping below the normal line.
Mr.. Kincer has just returned from a
tour Of the Plains States where the tenn
perature, although below average, has
not deviated SO markedly as in the States
east OF the Missouri River. Over a con-
siderable area stricken by drought in the
past few years the cool weather has been
accompanied by heavy rains, which have
encouraged the farmers. Montana has
had the wettest spring on record and
the Dakotas have not been far behind.
Nebraska seems to have been caught in
a dry pocket.
The remarkable feature Of the present
picture, Mr.. Kincer says is the extent Of
the territory covered and the persistence
OF the pattern week after week. In the
normal year big fluctuations in tempera-
ture are expected. This year they have
stayed at a dead level of GOODNESS, with
crops delayed, late frosts nipping gar
dens and snow just melting in the far
northern woods
The first month of the year, Mr.. Kincer
says, was the coolest January on record
east of the. Rockies from the Gulf of
Mexico to the Canadian line. Great
masses of cold air poured down in quick
succession from the North Pole and
spread over the country. There were
no atmospheric barriers built up to stop
them
February swung back to normal and
even slightly above in most places. Just
when weather forecasters thought they
were back to routine, there was a swing
back. March. April and May have all
been abnormally cool. AS late as May 7
snow was drifted in the woods OF North
ern New England and parts of Canada.
While the cool spring has cost the Ma
ton millions of dollars in fuel bills, Mr..
Kincer says. there is no reason to believe
at this time that it will be bad year for
agriculture. Crops will be late, but they
may be abundant if there is even mod
erately warm weather in June, the great
growing month"
In general, Mr. Kincer says, soil mois-
ture is sufficient for present needs
through most of the interior of the coun-
try. There have been widespread and
heavy rains in the lake region and
through the Mississippi and Lower Mis-
souri, Valleys. In parts of South Dakota
however the long preceding drought had
formed hard, dry crust over the soil
and the wheat seedlings break through
with difficulty
The South, especially east of the Mis-
sissippi, is badly in need of moisture.
From North Carolina to Alabama there
has been less than normal rainfall
through the spring. West of the Rockies
the high temperatures coupled with an
almost complete absence of rainfall has
resulted in rapid evaporation of moisture
from the soil and there are serious
drought possibilities.
North of Illinois corn planting is still
under way and there has been little
termination Of the seeds. Most truck
and miscellaneous crops in all the CEN
trail parts of the country need warmer
weather. Fruit trees now are blooming
northward to the Dakotas, while pas
lures through most of the region are
slightly backward.
Weather Bureau experts attribute the
unreasonable cold to icebergs of cold air
drifting out Of the Arctic. The weather,
they say, "has habits" This particular
habit seems to have developed this year
and is hard to break. It may mean
cold summer, although the whole pat
tern may change unpredictably at any
time.
Last winter a general drought was
feared. The fall and early winter months
had been the driest on record. There
was danger of exhaustion of the subsoil
moisture, which had hardly recovered
from earlier droughts. In spite of rather
abundant rainfall this danger is not yet
passed and precipitation reports are
watched carefully from week to week.
Fairly abundant rainfall, however, usual
ly attends abnormally cool weather.
Article Listing Job Possibilities
Draws Criticism.