TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 19 



ported was 79°, at Keokuk, Lee County, on the 11th; the lowest tempera- 

 ture reported was — 8°, at Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, on the 12th. 

 The average monthly maximum was 59°, and the average monthly mini- 

 mum was zero. The greatest daily range was 65°, at Keokuk, Lee County, 

 on the 11th. The average of the greatest daily ranges was 42. 



Pbecipitation. — The average precipitation for the state, as shown by the 

 records of 118 stations, was 1.42 inches, which is 0.03 of an inch above 

 the normal. By sections the averages were as follows: Northern sec- 

 tion, 0.94 inch, which is 0.37 of an inch below the normal; Central sec- 

 tion, 1.63 inches, which is 0.20 of an inch above the normal; Southern sec- 

 tion, 1.68 inches, which is 0.24 of an inch above the normal. The greatest 

 amount, 4.99 inches, occurred at LeClaire, Scott County, and the least, 

 0.11 of an inch, at Odebolt, Sac County. The greatest amount in twenty- 

 four hours, 1.82 inches, occurred at Delaware, Delaware County, on the 

 9th. Measurable precipitation occurred on an average of 6 days. 



Snow. — The average depth of unmelted snowfall was 1.6 inches. 



SuxsHiNE AND CLOuomEss. — The average number of clear days was 

 11; partly cloudy, 8; cloudy, 11. The duration of sunshine was below the 

 normal; the percentage of the possiTile amount being 47 at Charles City; 

 38 at Davenport; 57 at Des Moines; 35 at Dubuque; 49 at Keokuk; and 

 51 at Sioux City. 



Wind. — Northwest winds prevailed. The highest velocity reported was 

 48 miles an hour from the northwest, at Sioux City, Woodbury County, on 

 the 19th. 



DECEMBER. 



December, 1911, will go on record as one of the pleasantest winter 

 months ever experienced in Iowa. The first 15 days were exceptionally 

 fine, with an abundance of bright sunshine and mild temperatures, the 

 only storm of importance during that period being a general rain on the 

 9th and 10th, which was very beneficial in replenishing the water supply. 

 The latter half of the month was more seasonable, but there was no real 

 cold weather until the 27th, when the minimum temperatures were below 

 zero over the larger part of the state. Snow storms were, however, quite 

 frequent between the 20th and the end of the month, the snowfall being 

 heavy on the 20, 21, 22, 26, 30, and 31, and the sleighing was excellent 

 after the 26th. The first cold wave of the month occurred on the 27th and 

 28th, which caused temperatures below zero in all parts of the state, ex- 

 cept the extreme southeastern counties. The monthly mean temperature 

 is 27.9°, which has been exceeded but once, 1907, since 1896, and only five 

 times during the past 22 years. In regard to precipitation, the month was 

 the wettest December since state-wide observations began in 1890. Fall 

 sown grains were well protected by a heavy mantle of snow during tJie 

 severe cold weather, and were reported as being in good condition at the 

 close of the month. 



