FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 



753 



The following table will make clear the numerical data given in this 

 short sketch: 



•Observations made at Muscatine. 



Arthur G. Smith. 



FEBRUARY. 



February, 1914, will compare favorably, as to weather conditions, with 

 months of that name in past years. The average temperature was con- 

 siderably below the normal, and there was an excess of wind movement, 

 but the precipitation was less than usual; and, with the exception of the 

 evening of the last day of the month, there was no general winter storm 

 that could be classed as severe. As a result, there was much less than 

 the average amount of trouble and inconvenience from drifting snow. 

 In fact railroads, telephone and telegraph companies and stock feeders 

 probably have never experienced a more favorable winter than this, so 

 far as the weather is concerned. The month was the coldest February 

 since 1905, but the deficiency of temperature was due to almost con- 

 tinuous moderately cold weather rather than to any extremely low tem- 

 peratures or to any long continued cold spells. Nor were there any 

 unusually warm periods. There were two cold waves of importance. The 

 first occurred on the 7th-8th, and the second spread over the state on 

 the afternoon and night of the last day of the month. The first was 

 not severe, although it gave the coldest weather of the month and winter 

 on the 8th. The one on the 28th was attended by winds of gale force 

 and rapidly falling temperature. It proved to be one of the severest 

 blows Iowa has experienced in recent years, and was the only general 

 blizzard of the winter. 



Ice of good thickness and quality was secured throughout the State, 

 and the harvest was generally finished by the 20th. 



Fall sowai grains were covered by a mantle of snow during the coldest 

 weather and were reported to be in good condition at the close of the 

 month. 



Pressure. — The mean sea-level pressure for the State was 30.24 inches; 

 the highest recorded was 30.72 inches at Dubuque, on the 24th; the lowest 

 recorded was 29.61 inches at Davenport on the 6th. 



Temperature. — The monthly mean temperature for the State, 109 sta- 

 tions reporting, was 16.8°, or 3.7^ lower than the normal. February was 

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