438 



Eighth Annual Report of the 



of Canada, and even the southern component is then frequently 

 due to the deflecting influence of the Adirondack plateau ux>oii 

 winds blowing directly from the west.* 



* The following table by Professor Coffin, giving: the thermal effects of winds from various 

 directions, gives additional ground for the above statement. Local southwesterly winds in 

 which the sontherly component predominates may be considered as lake winds, and those in 

 which the ivesterJy component predominates as true westerly or even northwesterly winds. 

 The second column shows the number of days, hours and minutes that the wind blew from 

 each point of compass during the year; and the third, the average rise or fall in the temper- 

 ature per hour during each wind, expressed in decimals of a degree. + denotes a rise, and 

 — a fall. 



COURSE OF WINDS. 



North , 



North by east 



North-northeast.*. . . 

 Northeast Dy north 



Northeast 



Northeast by east . . 



East northeast 



East by north 



East 



East bj' south 



East-southeast 



Southeast by east.., 



Southeast 



Southeast by south 



South-southeast 



South by east 



South 



South by west 



South-southwest 



Southwest by south 



Southwest 



Southwest by west. , 



West-southwest 



West by south 



West 



West by north 



West-northwest. . . . , 

 Northwest by west , 



Northwest 



Northwest bj' north 



North-northwest 



North by west 



Note.— The broad surface of the St. Lawrence River somewhat modifies the temperature in 

 its immediate vicinity, and its influence is especially beneficial in preventing early frosts in 

 autumn. The coldest part of the region, on the other hand, appears to be that near the foot- 

 hills of the Adirondack mountains, as in the case of Qouverneur, Watertown and Madison 

 Barracks, which stations probably owe their extremely low minimum temperatures to the 

 hightly down-flow of cold air from the highlands. 



