258 Ninth Annual Keport of the 



lOtli. The warmest period extended from the lltli to 17th, cuhni- 

 nating on the 15th and 16th, which were the warmest October days 

 for tlie 19 years' record of the Ithaca station. From the 19th to the 

 30th the temperature was continuously above the normal, but the 

 deviation was not large. 



The rainfall over the greater part of New York ranks among the 

 least recorded for October, and the average for the State was less 

 than for any preceding month since the establishment of this Bureau 

 in 1889. A severe drouth prevailed in the western and central sec- 

 tions, and portions of the Hudson and Champlain Valleys, ground- 

 water being reported as lower than for many years past. Winter 

 wheat and pastures suffered considerably, and in many cases the 

 ground was too dry for plowing. , 



Severe frosts occurred unusually late this autumn, and in the 

 vicinity of bodies of water vegetation escaped injury throughout 

 the month, even as far north as Lake Champlain. Foliage com- 

 menced to change color about or before the 1st in central New 

 York, the tints being remarkably brilliant during the ten days fol- 

 lowing. Extensive forest fires, mainly near or over the Penn- 

 sylvania border, were of frequent occurrence, notably about the 

 19th to 21st, when the sun was obscured by smoke over the greater 

 part of the State. 



Heavy fogs were unusually frequent, especially along the lakes. 

 The cloudiness was below the average for October in all sections. 



Six areas of high and eight areas of low pressure influenced our 

 weather conditions this month ; the latter number being slightly 

 less than the average storm frequency for October. Six of the 

 depressions passed over or beyond our northern border, the 

 remainder being ocean storms. The " highs " were, in most cases, 

 large and strongly developed, generally covering the Central and 



