STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 289 



18J 1 inches, while the annual average precipitation for 80 years was 19.64 

 inches. Leaving the year 1886 1.47 inches below the average of many years. 



January, 1887 — Mean temperature, 48.5 ; 1.5° above the average of 34 

 years. Rainfall, 1.12 inches; 2.5.") inches below the average precipitation 

 of many (38) years. There were 8 light frosts and 7 kilting ones. The 

 number of days minimum temperature recorded below 32° was 8. Highest 

 river. 13.2 feet, and lowest. 9.0 feet. Highest and lowest temperature, 65 

 and 80°. Highest velocity of wind, 20 miles per hour from the northwest. 

 There was 21 (dear, 7 fair, and 3 cloudy days, and days upon which rain fell. 



February. 1887 — Mean temperature, 44.7", the lowest ever recorded in 34 

 years, being 0.3° below the average of 34 years. The rainfall was 6.28 

 inches, an unusually large amount for this month, 3.39 inches in excess of 

 the average precipitation in 38 years. There were 4 light frosts and kill- 

 ing ones and ice T V of an inch thick. The number of days the minimum 

 temperature was below 32° was only 1 day. Highest river, 18.6 feet and 

 the lowest 10.3 feet. Highest and lowest temperature, 67° and 30°. High- 

 est velocity of wind, 33 miles per hour from the northwest. There were 8 

 clear. 11 fair, and 9 cloudy days, and 14 days upon wdiich rain fell. 



March, 1887 — Mean temperature, 57.8°; 2.8° below the average of many 

 years. Rainfall, .94 of an inch ; 1.97 inches below the average precipita- 

 tion in many years. There were no frosts during the month. Highest and 

 lowest river, 20.5 and 15.5 feet. Highest and lowest temperature, 79" and 

 41°. There were 2 solar halos of 22° radii. There were 21 clear, 8 fair, and 

 2 cloudy days, and days upon wdiich rain fell. 



April, 1887 — Mean temperature, 58.3°; .9° below the mean average tem- 

 perature for many years. Total precipitation, 2.53 inches; .00 of an inch 

 above the average rainfall of many years. 1 light frost. Highest and low- 

 est river, 20.5 and 19.3 feet, Highest and lowest temperature, 84° and 41°. 

 There were 20 clear, 7 fair, and 8 cloudy days, and 10 days upon wdiich 

 rain fell. 



The season's rainfall of 1886-87, up to and including the twentieth of 

 May, 1887, is 13.97 inches. The average precipitation for 37 seasons is 

 19.94 inches. This season is therefore 5.97 inches below the average rain- 

 fall of many seasons. There were in May, 1887, 2 light frosts in Sacra- 

 mento, the last one being May tenth, which proved to be quite a heavy one 

 over the greater portion of Northern and Central California, doing consid- 

 erable damage to grapes, fruit, beans, potatoes, and other tender vegetation. 

 This was an unprecedented occurrence for so late in the season. Since 

 1809-70 the last frosts have usually occurred in April: in fact it has 

 occurred during May upon but 4 occasions in 18 years, as follows: May 17, 

 1870, May 15, 1882, May 2, 1883, and May 10, 1887. 



Spring of 1880. 



The mean average Spring temperature for 1880 was 50.5°; 3° lower than 

 the average of 34 Spring seasons. The warmest Spring was that of 1875, 

 wdiose mean average temperature reached as high as 03.3°; 0.8° higher 

 than the Spring of 1880, and 3.8° above the average. The coldest Spring 

 was that of 1880, the average recorded being 55°; 1.5° colder than this 

 Spring, and 4.5° below the average of many years. The lowest tempera- 

 ture was 37.7°. The lowest temperature recorded during 34 years was 

 29°, in March, 1880. The highest temperature for this Spring was 94°. 

 The highest ever recorded during 34 years of observation was 98°, in 

 May, 1883, and May, 1885. 



The total rainfall for this Spring was 0.83 inches; 1.31 inches above the 

 19 i0 



