2 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



establishment of the weather service. Those months also gave more snow 

 than any like period. The monthly mean temperature w^as below the 

 normal from June to October, inclusive, except in July, which gave a slight 

 excess, and the precipitation was deficient from April to August, inclusive. 

 Heavy snow fell over the southern and eastern counties on April 17th; 

 freezing temperatures were general over the larger part of the state on 

 May 14th, and light frost occurred in some of the northern counties on 

 June 7th. Notwithstanding these unusual conditions, and the fact that 

 seed corn was poor, and cut and wire worms were more destructive than 

 usual, it is remarkable that the yield of crops, as a whole, was the largest 

 in the history of the state. The year closed mild and pleasant; from 

 about the middle of October to December 31st there was a great excess 

 of temperature and a deficiency of precipitation. The deficiency of snow- 

 fall during this period was especially marked, and the great number of 

 clear, mild days was probably unprecedented. 



Barometee (reduced to sea level). — The average pressure of the atmos- 

 phere for the year 1912 was 30.03 inches. The highest observed was 30.86 

 inches, at Sioux City, Woodbury County, on January 12th. The lowest 

 pressure observed was 29.19 inches at the same station on April 13th. 

 The range for the state was 1.67 inches. 



Temperature. — The mean temperature for the state was 46.4° or 1.1° 

 below the normal. The highest annual mean was 50.6° at Keokuk, Lee 

 County. The lowest annual mean was 42.3°, at Northwood, Worth County, 

 and at Sibley, Osceola County. The highest temperature reported was 

 104° at Ottumwa, Wapello County, on September 8th. The lowest temper- 

 ature reported was — 47° at Washta, Cherokee County, on January 12th. 

 The range for the state was 151°. 



Precipitation. — The average amount of rain and melted snow for the 

 year, as shown by the complete records of 107 stations was 28.89 inches, 

 or 3.76 inches less than the normal, and 2.48 inches less than the average 

 amount in 1911. The greatest amount recorded at any station was 38.13 

 inches at Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, and the least amount was 15.25 

 inches at Inwood, Lyon County. The greatest monthly precipitation was 

 10.12 inches at Audubon, Audubon County, in September. There was no 

 precipitation at Rock Rapids, Lyon County, in November. The greatest 

 amount in any consecutive 24 hours was 5.50 inches at Olin, Jones County, 

 on August 19th. 



The average amount of snowfall was 39.5 inches. The greatest amount 

 recorded at any station was 77.2 inches at Earlham, Madison County, 

 and the least amount was 10.2 inches at Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County. 

 The greatest monthly snowfall was 52.5 inches at Earlham, Madison 

 County. Measurable precipitation occurred on an average of 84 days. 

 This is 3 less than for 1911. 



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

 highest velocity reported was 52 miles an hour from the northwest at 

 Sioux City, Woodbury County, on January 8th. 



Sunshine and Cloudiness. — The average number of clear days was 181; 

 partly cloudy, 96; cloudy, 89; as against 165 clear days, 99 partly cloudy, 

 and 101 cloudy days in 1911. Considerably more than the normal amount 

 of sunshine was experienced. 



