Evening star., 1941-03-04
Shift in Cold Air Mass
Indicates Europe
WiIIGet EarIySpring
US. Meteorolisists See
Weather in Big Role
In Western Warfare .
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Europe.
For nearly two months a very
heavy mass of cold air several
miles high lay over the continent,
causing some of the coldest weather
known in q century. 1t extended
westward as far as the English
Channel and effectively blocked
warmer air from across the At
lantic or from the Mediterranean
getting through.
This was the so-called Siberian
high whose center is usually in the
neighborhood of Lake Baikal. For
two winters in succession this GEN.
ter shifted westward until 1t rested
somewhere over European Russia
or Poland.
1t now has drawn eastward again
until its center is In Eastern ST.
IBERIA above the Arctic circle, far
out of its normal position. Central
Siberia, usually place Of bitter
cold, Is warmer than usual at this
season, and apparently warm air
masses are penetrating Europe. The
only specific evidence of this is
that the ice in the Danube Is
breaking up about a month ear
lier than usual, apparently due to
warm air from Africa. Springlike
weather must be extended at least
into Southern Germany. Western
Europe is open to get whatever
sort of weather comes from across
the Atlantic.
Germany Guards Weather Data.
Such is the reconstruction of the
weather map of the old world by
experts of the United States
Weather Bureau, relying on such
piecemeal evidence as they can get
since weather is one of the most
closely guarded Of military secrets
In Germany and the occupied ter
ritories. Great Britain has relaxed
its weather censorship under the
theory that it is impossible to con-
ceal this information from the Ger
mans and that whatever happens
over the British Isles has very little
repercussion on the continent.
On the other hand, Weather
Bureau forecasters say, the most
extreme precautions are being taken
to keep secret all current weather
information from Iceland and
Greenland. With the Siberian high
withdrawn, what happens in Green
land today may determine the
weather OF France next week.
For the past decade Siberia has
been a blank on the map for Amer
lean forecasters, although weather
there has decided effect on that in
the United States and Canada.
Within the last few weeks, however,
an American university has found
1t possible to pick up short wave
broadcasts from Moscow sent in the
recognized international code Of
weather forecasters which gives
considerable data on conditions in
Siberia and occasionally in Finland
and Yugoslavia.
Secret Code Battling.
Data for European Russia, the rest
of the Balkans and for the oc-
cupied territories, if the Russians
have any information on them, is
in a secret code to which the Amer
leans have no clue. Apparently the
Russians are playing the game by
eoncealing any weather information
which might be of military signif-
icance. The messages show, how
ever. that new mass of cold, heavy
air now is building up over the
Caspian Sea which may have
decided effect on German penetra-
ton into the Balkans.
A high" centered in this loca-
ton is very unusual. 1t may stop
thawing in Southeastern Europe
for several weeks, thus keeping
the roads in better condition for
army transport.
Other than these intercepted
Russian reports, about the only
contact of the American forecast
ers is Lisbon, from which reports
are received daily.
Eccentric Weather Now Likely.
The early withdrawal of the ST.
berian high, the weather experts
say, may be of extreme significance
in military operations in the west.
While it persisted both German and
British flyers could rely on cold,
clear weather. There were only
local storms and little snow. Now
the weather is likely to become &C.
centric and difficult to predict.
Last year the weather stabilized
again early in May, and the Ger
man forecasters gave the green
light for the great drive west
ward which ended with the fall Of
France. Sterilization may come
even earlier this year. The German
Army has some of the worlds best
meteorologists in its service, and
the extreme reliability of their re-
ports has had much to do with Hit
ler's successes, since they have en-
able0 him to avoid storms and mud.