FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 781 



CLIMATE AND CROP REVIEW 



Season 1914 



WEATHER AND CROP REVIEW BY MONTHS. 



The year 1914 opened with the warmest January and ended with the 

 second coldest December of record. All of the months of the year, except 

 February, April and December, were warmer than usual, and the summer 

 months, like those of 1913, were unusually warm. In regard to precipita- 

 tion, the records show that the State received nearly the normal amount, 

 there being a deficiency of only 0.04 inch. This, however, does not in- 

 dicate the conditions that prevailed during most of the year, and es- 

 pecially during the crop months. There was a deficiency of precipitation 

 every month from January to August, inclusive, except in June, and the 

 southern part of the State suffered from one of the worst droughts of 

 record. At the end of August, there was an accumulated deficiency of 

 precipitation of 4.12 inches. This was overcome by excessive rains in 

 September and the excess was further increased by frequent showers 

 during the first half of October, but dry weather during the latter half 

 of October and all of November caused a slight deficiency for the year. 

 The hot, dry weather during July and August greatly reduced the yield 

 of corn, especially in the southern counties, where the effects of the 

 drought were even worse than in 1913. 



SYNOPSIS BY MONTHS. 



The generally mild and pleasant weather that prevailed during Novem- 

 ber and December, 1913, continued most of the time during January, 1914, 

 making it the warmest month of that name since 1880, and the warmest 

 winter season, November to January, inclusive, of record. The average 

 temperature was 10° above the normal, and there were no storms of 

 consequence. A moderate cold wave passed over the State on the 12th; 

 the temperature ranging from a little above zero in the southern part 

 of the State to 5° and 10° below zero in the northern section. The snow- 

 fall was lighter than usual and did not remain on the ground long. Live 

 stock was out most of the month, thereby affecting a considerable saving 

 in feed. Building operations suffered little interruption because of un- 

 favorable weather conditions. 



February was considerably colder than usual, but the precipitation was 

 less than the normal. There was, however, an excess of wind movement, 

 but there were no general winter storms that should be classed as severe 

 until the night of the last day of the month. 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. There 



