New York Weather Bureau. 429 



The effect of the ocean upon the portion of the state lying 

 north of the coast line mainly results from the passage of high 

 and low pressure areas over the eastern part of the continent, 

 as has already been mentioned. The prevailing northwesterly 

 winds of winter, if uninterrupted, would maintain the severe 

 cold of the continental interior quite to the coast line, while the 

 normal southwesterly circulation of sumimer brings to New York 

 land rather than sea winds. In reality, the State is subject to an 

 alteration of maritime and conlinenlal climates, following each 

 other at intervals of a few days in conjunction with cyclonic and 

 anticyclonic movements; the continental type prevailing during 

 the winter and the maritime during the summer. The entire 

 State may be subject to the ocean winds or only a few of the 

 southeastern counties; and hence no very sharp line of demarca- 

 tion can be expected between climatic conditions adjacent to the 

 coast 'and those inland. The flat country, which extends from 

 Long Island Sound to northern Westchester county, is, however, 

 most fully exposed to sea influences, the ridge of the highlands 

 which passes in a northeasterly direction from Rockland into 

 Putnam co'unty oifering the first O'bstructiou to their penetration 

 inland. No reliable observations covering a long period are 

 available to show the precise effect of the highlands upon tem- 

 perature; but results furnished by a few new stations during the 

 past three years indicate that the conditions are more distinctly 

 maritime on the southern than on the northern side, a result 

 which receives some confirmation from the character of the 

 rainfall in the vicinity, as will appear later. The isothermal 

 charts accoimpanying this report accordingly show the section 

 south of the highlands to have a smaller annual range, cooler 

 springs and warmer autumns than the remainder of the State. 



Some special notes upon the climate of New York city are 

 given on page 500. 



