NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 521 



Sunshine and Cloudiness. The average number of clear days was 173; 

 partly cloudy, 97; cloudy, 95; as against 171 clear; 98 partly cloudy, and 

 96 cloudy days In 1917. The average percentage of the possible amount 

 of sunshine was 61 or about normal. 



MONTHLY SUMMARIES. 

 JANUARY. 



January, 1918, was severely and almost continuously cold — only Jan- 

 uary, 1912, being colder. The mean temperature of the 62-day period, 

 December 1, 1917 to January 31, 1918, 11.6° is the coldest of the 28 simi- 

 lar periods since statewide records began, and 2.5° colder than the former 

 record period, December, 1892-January, 1893. The deficiencies in temper- 

 ature for January were greatest in the southeastern and west-central 

 counties. Precipitation, mostly snow, averaged about normal for the 

 State, but was excessive in some of the Mississippi River counties and 

 deficient in portions of Boone, Carroll, Dallas and Guthrie counties and 

 southwest to the boundaries of the State. The ground was snow-covered, 

 continuously over about the eastern one-third of the State, less than 20 

 days in Crawford, Carroll, Greene and Boone counties, and less than 10 

 days toward the close of the month over most of Boone county. 



The condition of winter wheat has not changed much, being fair in the 

 southeastern counties and varying much in small adjacent areas in other 

 sections. With the prevailing methods of culture, wheat fields were gen- 

 erally blown bare of snow by the winds, though the surrounding country 

 remained snow-covered. About 8 per cent of the corn is still unhusked. 

 Cold and snowy weather impeded rail traffic; and because of the car short- 

 age, little corn was shelled. Live stock is generally reported in good con- 

 dition, though fed to capacity on the soft corn which has little more than 

 half the usual feeding value. 



Pressure. The mean pressure (reduced to sea level) for the State was 

 30.03 inches. The highest recorded was 30.82 inches, at Sioux City, on the 

 31st, and the lowest was 29.34, at Dubuque, on the 12th. The monthly 

 range was 1.48 inches. 



Temperature. The mean temperature for the State, as shown by the 

 records of 97 stations, was 8.6°, or 9.3° lower than the normal. By divi- 

 sions, three tiers of counties to the division, the means were as follows: 

 Northern, 5.9°, or 8.7° lower than the normal; Central, 8.9°, or 9.3° lower 

 than the normal; Southern, 11.1°, or 9.8° lower than the normal. The 

 highest monthly mean was 14.2°, at Northboro, and the lowest monthly 

 mean was 2.2° at Estherville. The highest temperature reported was 53°, 

 at Thurman, on the 1st, and at Northboro, on the 24th, and the lowest 

 temperature reported — 35° at Washta on the 31st. The temperature range 

 for the State was 88°. 



Humidity. The average relative humidity for the State at 7 a. m. was 

 85 per cent, and at 7 p. m. it was 79 per cent. The mean for the month 

 was 82 per cent, or about 1 per cent more thaa normal. The highest 

 monthly mean was 88 per cent at Charles City, and the least was 75 at 

 Omaha, Nebr. 



