6 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



snowfall, 25.0 inches, occurred at Rockwell City, Calhoun county, and 

 the greatest 24-hour amount, 12.0 inches, occurred at Rockwell City on the 

 10th. 



Measurable precipitation occurred on an average of 5 days. 



Sunshine and Cloudiness. — The average number of clear days was 11 ; 

 partly cloudy, 6; cloudy, 11. The duration of sunshine was below the 

 normal, the percentage of the possible amount being 55 at Charles City; 

 47 at Davenport; 48 at Des Moines; 37 at Dubuque; 52 at Keokuk, and 44 

 at Sioux City. 



Wind. — Southwest winds prevailed. The highest velocity reported 

 A'as 53 miles per hour from the northwest, at Sioux City, Woodbury 

 county. 



THE WINTER OF 1908-1909. 



The mean temperature for the three winter months was 24.9°, which is 

 4.2° above the normal for the State. The highest temperature reported 

 was 72° at Keokuk, Lee county, on January 23d. The lov.-est tempeiature 

 reported was 26° below zero at Inwood, Lyon county, on February 15th. 

 The average monthly precipitation for the state was 1.26 inches and the 

 average total precipitation was 3.77 inches, or 0.47 inch above the winter 

 normal. The average total snowfall, unmelted, was 19.3 inches, or one 

 inch more than for the winter of 1907-1908. The average number of days 

 on which .01 inch or more of precipitation was reported was 14, or one 

 more than the average for the winter of 1907-190S. The coldest periods of 

 the winter were from January 5th to 13th; January 29th to 31st, and from 

 February 5th to 16th, but the severe cold of the last period v*-as confined 

 to the northwestern counties. The winter was 1.1° colder than the winter 

 of 1907-1908, and 1.8° warmer than the winter of 1906-1907. The average 

 number of clear days was 35; partly cloudy, 20; cloudy, 35. as compared 

 with 39 clear, 21 partly cloudy, and 31 cloudy days during the v.inter of 

 1907-1908. 



MARCH. 



March, 1909, will go on record as furnishing an unusual variety of 

 weather conditions. The first six days of the month were mild and pleas- 

 ant but most of the remainder of the month was cold v.ith frequent snow 

 and rain storms, accompanied by thunder and lightning and brisk to high 

 winds. The snov.fall in the central and northern counties was excep- 

 tionally heavy, and exceeded all previous records for March at several 

 stations. The low temperatures also broke all former records for the sec- 

 ond decade of the month in the north central counties and the severity of 

 the thunder during the snow storm on the 9'th was phenomenal. The 

 average temperature for the month was slightly below the normal, yet 

 at the central station there was an average daily deficiency of six degrees 

 during the last 23 days. The only days between the 8th and 31st on which 

 there was an excess were the 22d, 23d and 24th. The 23d was the warmest 

 day of the month when the maximum temperatures ranged from 45° in 

 the northern to 71° in the southern counties. The lowest temperature for 

 the month at all stations was recorded on the 17th and was generally 

 below zero in the northern districts, the lov.cst being 15 below zero. 



