WEATHER BUREAU. 273 



COLD WAVE OF JANUARY, 1912. 



The following weekly forecast was issued December 31, 1911: 



There will be stormy weathei* the coming week over the North Atlantic 

 steamer routes, the British Isles, and northwestern Europe. 



In the United States wintry weather will be general during the greater part 

 of the coming week. A marked change to colder weather will overspread the 

 region east of the Mississippi River within the next 3r> to 48 hours, with the 

 lino of freezing temperature extending southward to the Gulf and South At- 

 lantic States and to northern Florida. Unseasonably cold weather will con- 

 tinue the next several days in the Middle West, the Southwest, and the Rocky 

 Mountain region. 



A storm that is now over the upper Lake region will move down the St. 

 T-awrence -Valley during Monday, attended by snow in the region of the Great 

 Lakes, the upper Ohio Valley, the interior of New York, and New England; it 

 will be followed by clearing weather elsewhere east of the Mississippi River 

 during Monday. The next disturbance of importance to cross the United States 

 will appear in the Far West Monday or Tuealay, cross the ]\Iiddle West Wed- 

 nesday or Thursday, and the Eastern States Friday ; this disturbance will be 

 preceded by a reaction to normal temperature, be attended by general snows in 

 northern and rains in southern districts, and be followed by decidedly colder 

 weather. 



During the week following the issue of this forecast a general cold 

 wave swept the country, and the lowest temperatures for several years 

 were reported from the upper Mississippi Valley and the upper Lake 

 region. Much suffering was caused by cold weather from the Plains 

 States eastward to the Atlantic coast. 



The following from Mr, A. Mitchell, jr., general agent of the 

 Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co., Lexington, Ky., dated January 13, 

 1912, refers to warnings of heavy snow issued by the "Weather Bureau : 



We wish to thank you very much for the forecasts we received from your 

 department, especially for the information given us during the past 10 days. 

 They have not only enabled us to protect and safely handle many shipments of 

 perishable connnodities, but your forecasts, both as to the severe weather and 

 the snows, enabled us to protect in advance, especially at oiu' shops and at our 

 terminal yards, where we have a great many switches, to such an extent as to 

 keep the invariable interference to the safe movement of transportation down 

 to a minimum. 



The following is an extract from an editorial that appeared in the 

 Pittsburgh Gazette-Times of Februar}' 2-4, 1912, regarding the warn- 

 ings issued in connection with Ihe .storm of February 21 and 22, 1912, 

 which swept the Atlantic seaboaed: 



A striking illustration of the important i)art playe<l by the Government 

 Weather Bureau was furnished by the warnings issued in connection with the 

 recent severe storm along the Atlantic coast. Shipping interests were advised 

 in ample time that high winds of almost hurricane proportions were on the 

 way. In many cases small vessels remained in jutrt until .-ifter the danger was 

 past. Ships at sea were warne<l by wirelet^s and were able to ]irepare for the 

 l)ig blow. It is impossible to estimate the protection to life and proiierty 

 afforded by this u|i-to-date, ellicient service. The instance mentioned was of a 

 rather unusual and even spectacular nature, but every day in the year the 

 Weather Bureau, from headcjuarters at Washington and through its employees 

 throughout the country, is making careful oiiservalions, receiving and ex- 

 changing reports and issuing bulletins and warnings to shippers of ])erishable 

 goods, railroad and marine interests, and others directly concerned with im- 

 pending changes in meteorological conditions. 



70481°— AGB 1912 18 



