NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 533 



and low humidities during this warm period, caused considerable damage 

 to winter wheat, meadows and pastures in the western part of the State. 

 During a cool period, 10th-13th, frost and ice were reported in many sec- 

 tions. Snow and sleet fell in Dallas, Polk, Madison, Warren and Marion 

 Counties on the 13th. The remainder of the month was generally warm. 

 After the first five days precipitation was plentiful except in the south- 

 central and southwest districts where drouth prevailed till the 21st. To- 

 ward the close of the month the rains became heavy to excessive but the. 

 soil readily absorbed most of the water. 



The hay crop will be generally short due to drouth that prevailed till 

 the 6th; winter wheat yields will be much reduced in southwest districts. 

 Corn planting was done under unusually favorable conditions, and in spite 

 of the defective seed, showed a good stand where up. About five 

 per cent of the acreage remained to be planted when the heavy rains 

 suspended planting toward the close of the month. 



Tornadoes were remarkably frequent and severe. On the 8th a small 

 one moved northeastward across the southeast corner of Hamilton county, 

 causing $3,500 damage. On the 9th, one moved from the southwest corner 

 of Chickasaw county northeast into Winneshiek county. An account of 

 this storm, by Mr. H. P. Hardin, Official in Charge, Weather Bureau Office, 

 Charles City, Iowa, begins on page 22. On the same date, one moved 

 from the southwest township in Muscatine county to near the center of 

 Scott county. This storm caused $40,000 damage in Muscatine county 

 and large damage near Eldridge in Scott county, an account of which 

 is given by Mr. J. M. Sherrier, Official in Charge, Weather Bureau Office, 

 Davenport, Iowa, beginning on page 26. A second tornado visited 

 Eldridge on the 19th, causing 2 deaths, 2 injuries and $2,000 damage. The 

 21st was one of the worst tornado days in the history of Iowa, there 

 being five distinct tornado paths, most of them long, on that day. See 

 article, "The Tornadoes of May 21, 1918," beginning on page 28. On the 

 31st a tornado moved from the central part of Hancock county northeast 

 to north central Worth county, causing $20,000 damage. The total num- 

 ber of persons killed by tornadoes during the month was 29; total injured, 

 182; total property damage, $2,453,780. 



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

 29.91 inches. The highest recorded was 30.43 inches, at Dubuque, on the 

 23d, and the lowest was 29.09, at Des Moines, on the 9th. The monthly 

 range was 1.34 inches. 



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

 records of 104 stations, was 64.9°, or 4.4° higher than the normal. By 

 divisions, three tiers of counties to the division, the means were as 

 follows: Northern, 62.8°, or 3.8° higher than the normal; Central, 65.3°, 

 or 4.6° higher than the normal; Southern, 66.7°, or 5.0° higher than the 

 normal. The highest monthly mean was 69.0°, at Ottumwa, and the lowest 

 58.9°, at Estherville. The highest temperature reported was 98° at 

 Creston, on the 9th, and the lowest was 25° at Audubon, Earlham, Fayette 

 and Guthrie Center, on the 1st. The temperature range for the State was 

 73°. 



