FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 759 



dry, there being only light showers prior to the 24th. The bulk of the 

 precipitation came on the 26th, 27th or 28th, during which time the 

 showers were copious to heavy and were quite general. There were no 

 damaging downpours. The average number of days with 0.01 inch or 

 more was 8. 



Snowfall. — The average for the State was 0.3 inch, or l.C inches less 

 than the normal. This is, with five exceptions, the least amount recorded 

 in April since 1892. 



Wind. — The prevailing direction of the wind was from the northwest. 

 There were no wind storms of importance, but brisk to high winds pre- 

 vailed on the 17th and 18th which caused considerable inconvenience in 

 seeding small grain by causing dust storms over plowed fields. The high- 

 est velocity recorded was 52 miles per hour, from the northwest, at Sioux 

 City, on the 10th. High winds also prevailed on the 27th. 



Sunshine and Cloudiness. — For the State, as a whole, the percentage 

 of sunshine received was somewhat below the normal; but there was a 

 deficiency of 19 per cent at Charles City and 7 per cent at Sioux City, 

 indicating more cloudiness over the northern than there was over the 

 southern part of the state. The average number of clear days was 10; 

 partly cloudy, 8; cloudy, 12. 



Miscellaneous Phenomena.^ — Sleet occurred in Fremont and Cerro 

 Gordo counties on the 5th, and in Plymouth county on the 19th. Hail 

 occurred in Cerro Gordo county on the 10th; in Cerro Gordo, Dallas, 

 Union, and Wayne counties on the 18th; in Warren county on the 19th; 

 Cass county on the 24th; and in Palo Alto, Kossuth and Hancock counties 

 on the 26th. Thunderstorms were quite general on the 17th, 18th, 23rd, 

 24th, 26th, and 27th, and in a few localities on the 1st, 6th, 15th, and 28th. 



Rivers. — The rivers in this section did not change materially during 

 the first three weeks of the month, and were low for the season during 

 that period. Owing to moderately heavy rains, they rose steadily during 

 the last week and in all cases the highest stage of the inontli was re- 

 corded on the 30th. 



