TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART I 3 



Wind. — The prevailing direction of tlie wind vv-as south. The highest 

 velocity reported was at Sioux City, Woodbury county, 72 miles per hour, 

 from the northwest, on January 29th. 



SuxsHiXE AND CLOUDINESS. — Thc average number of clear days was 152; 

 partly cloudy, 92, and cloudy, 121, as against 176 clear days; 96 partly 

 cloudy; and 94 cloudy days in 190S. The duration of sunshine was below 

 normal in all but the summer months when it was slightly above the sea- 

 sonal average. 



MONTHLY SUMMARIES 



JANUARY. 



The average temperature for the month was considerably above the 

 normal, altho seasonable temperature for January prevailed during the 

 first half and the last three days of the month. The coldest periods of the 

 month v.ere between the 5th and 12th, and tte 29th and 31st, when the 

 minimum temperatures were near or below zero. The coldest day was 

 on the Cth when the minimum temperature ranged from 10 degrees below 

 zero in the southern counties to 25 degrees below zero in several of the 

 northern counties. From the 13th to the 28th the weather was unseason- 

 ably warm, especially on the 23d, when the highest temperature ever 

 recorded in January occurred at several stations in the southeastern part 

 of the State. The last three days of the month were cold with minimum 

 temperatures generally below zero. There was considerably more precipi- 

 tation than usual, notwithstanding the fact that but little moisture fell 

 prior to the 28th. Small amounts of snow fell between the 4th and 7th, 

 and on the 15th and 16th. Light rain fell between the 18th and 23d with 

 an excessive amount of foggy v/eather. Light rain began on the 28th 

 increasing to heavy rain in the evening and turning to snow during the 

 night. This storm was attended by extremely high northwest winds which 

 continued from the night of the 28th to the morning of the 30th, making 

 it one of the worst blizzards experienced in this section for many years. 

 The high winds caused the snow to drift badly, and blew down hundreds 

 of windmills and thousands of telegraph and telephone poles. All street 

 car and railroad train service was practically abandoned, and many head 

 of live stock perished from the cold and exposure. The storm was so fierce 

 that live stock would not face the wind and flying snow to seek shelter. 

 The wind, during the storm, attained a maximum velocity of 72 miles 

 per hour at Sioux City; 66 miles at Omaha, Nebr.; 44 miles at Des Moines; 

 37 miles at Keokuk; 36 miles at Davenport; and 31 miles at Dubuque. 



There v,as some plowing done between the 24th and 27th in the south- 

 eastern counties, but the alternating thawing and freezing weather was not 

 favorable to fall grain. 



Tempekatukes. — The monthly mean temperature for the State, as shown 

 by the records of 113 stations, was 21.2°, which is 1.9° above the normal 

 for Iowa. By sections the mean temperatures were as follows: Northern 



