METEOROLOGY. 927 



the northern slope, viz, Havre, 140°; Bismarck, 138 ; Williston, 136°, and Moor- 

 head, 129°. The smallest annual ranges were: Key West, 40°; Eureka, 52°, and 

 San Diego, 53°. . . . 



"In 1891 precipitation was below average in every district east of the Rocky 

 Mountains. In 1895 there was au excess of precipitation in the southern and middle 

 slopes, but elsewhere between the Rocky Mountains and the Atlantic seaboard there 

 was a marked deficiency. In 1896 there was an excess of rainfall in the extreme 

 Northwest, the upper Mississippi Valley, the Missouri Valley, and the northern and 

 southern slopes. The year 1897 opened with heavy rains in the lower Mississippi 

 Valley, Tennessee, Alabama, and adjoining regions, and it seemed as if the period 

 of diminished rainfall had come to a close. The rainfall of May was about average, 

 except in the Gulf States, Arkansas, Missouri, and upper .Mississippi valleys. The 

 June rainfall was generally below the average, but in July unusually heavy rains fell 

 throughout New England, the upper Lake Region, upper Mississippi Valley, Florida, 

 and portions of the Ohio Valley, and the Middle and South Atlantic States. By the 

 middle of August a drought had set in over practically all of the territory east of 

 the Rocky Mountains, which was not broken in some localities until about the 1st 

 of November, and the year ended as one of generally deficient raiufall. 



"The stations having the largest deficiencies during 1897 are: Galveston, Texas, 

 19.44 in.; New Orleans, Louisiana, 17.05 in.; Raleigh, North Carolina, 16.94 in.; 

 Wilmington, North Carolina, 16.66 in. The stations having the largest excesses 

 are: Jupiter, Florida, 29.09 in.; Fort Canby, Washington, 12.88 in.; New Haven, 

 Connecticut, 9.98 in. . . . 



"[From] the accumulated departures of the total monthly precipitation from the 

 normal ... it appears that the total annual precipitation was normal in 1 dis- 

 trict, above normal in 6, and below in the remaining 14. As in previous years, 

 the greatest deficiency exists in the west Gulf States and lower Mississippi Valley. 

 Precipitation has been below normal iu this region since 189C. The deficit during 

 1897 has been steadily increasing in the Middle and South Atlantic regions, east and 

 west Gulf, upper and lower Lake, Missouri, and upper Mississippi valleys, but a 

 notable excess has accumulated in the Florida Peninsula. . . . 



"The greatest frequencies [of thunderstorms] per station per annum were: South 

 Carolina, 24.9; Florida, 24.3; Missouri and Tennessee, 22.6; North Carolina, 21. 

 The smallest frequencies were: California, 2.6; Washington, 3.9; Oregon, 4.2." 



Report of the meteorologist, N. Helme (Rhode Island Sta. Rpt. 

 1896, pp. 363-369). — This includes general remarks on the character of 

 the weather during the year and a tabulated summary of observations 

 on temperature, pressure, precipitation, cloudiness, and prevailing 

 winds during each month of 1896 with a summary for the years 1890 

 to 1890, inclusive. The summary for 1890 is as follows: 



Temperature (degrees F.). — Maximum, 93, May 10; minimum, — 11, February 17; 

 mean, 47.7; annual range, 104; highest monthly mean, 70, July; lowest monthly mean, 

 23.4, January; highest daily mean, 81, May 10; lowest daily mean. — 1, January 6. 

 Air pressure (inches). — Maximum, 30.61, December; minimum, 28.68, February; 

 mean, 29.84. Precipitation (inches). — Total (rain and melted snow), 49.87; greatest 

 monthly, 7.44, September; least monthly, 1.48, April; snow fall — total, 59: greatest 

 monthly, 19, March; least monthly. 5, November. Weather. — Number of clear days, 

 131 ; number of fair days, 112 ; number of cloudy days, 123 ; number of days on which 

 0.01 in. or more of rain fell, 109. 



Report of the meteorologist, T. F. Watson ( West Virginia Sta. Rpt. 1806, pp. 



249-262). — A tabulated record is given of tri-daily observations during each month of 



1896 on temperature, precipitation, direction of wind, and cloudiness. The following 



is a summary of the principal data: Maximum temperature, 94- F., August 6, 9, 12; 



1G733— Xo. 10 3 



