NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I ' 7 
Precipitation. — The average precipitation for the State, as shown by 
the records of 121 stations, was 1.69 inches, which is .63 inch above the 
normal. By sections the averages were as follows: Northern section, 
1.42 inches, which is .48 inch above the normal; Central section, 1.83 
inches, which is .75 inch above the normal; Southern section, 1,81 
inches, which is .66 inch above the normal. The greatest amount, 3.95 
inches occurred at Olin, Jones county, and the least, .23 inch, at Clear 
Lake, Cerro Gordo county. The greatest amount in 24 hours, 2.00 inches, 
occurred at Olin, Jones county, on the 4th-5th. The average snov/fall, 
unmelted, was 8.9 inches, the average for the three sections being as 
follows: Northern section, 8.7 inches; Central section, 9.6 inches; South- 
ern section, 8.4 inches. The greatest monthly snowfall, 17.3 inches, oc- 
curred at Pacific Junction, Mills county, and the greatest 24-hour amount, 
15.8 inches, at Pacific Junction, on the 18th. 
Measureable precipitation occured on an average of 6 days. 
Wind and Weather. — The average number of clear days was 12; partly 
cloudy, 6; cloudy, 11. The duration of sunshine was about normal, the 
percentage of the possible amount being 51, at Des Moines; 63, at Daven- 
port; 52, at Dubuque; 58, at Keokuk; and 68, at Sioux City. 
Northwest winds prevailed. High winds were reported on the 1st, 2d, 
4th, 5th, 18th and 19th. The highest velocity reported w^as 50 miles per 
hour, from the northwest, at Sioux City, Woodbury county, on the 5th. 
THE WINTER OF 1907-08. 
The mean temperature of the three winter months was 26.0°, which is 
5.3° above the normal for the State. The highest temperature reported 
was 62°, at Mount Pleasant, Henry county, on December 9th. The lowest 
temperature reported was -18°, at Estherville, Emmet county, and Forest 
City, Winnebago county, on January 29th. The average precipitation for 
the State was 1.04 inches — a total of 3.13 inches for the three winter 
months. This is .06 inch below the normal. The snowfall, unmelted, 
averaged 6.1 inches, and was heaviest during the month of February. 
The average number of days on which .01 inch or more of precipitation 
was reported, was 13. 
The coldest period of the winter occurred during the last week of 
January. The winter was 2.9° warmer than the winter of 1906-07, and 
was 1° warmer than the winter of 1905-06. The average number of clear 
days was 39; partly cloudy, 21; cloudy, 31. The prevailing direction of 
wind was northwest. On the vrhole it was a very mild and agreeable 
winter. 
maech. 
The weather during the month w^as exceptionally mild and pleasant 
for the season, there being but five years since 1890 when a higher mean 
temperature for March was recorded, viz.: 1894, 1902, 1903, 1905 and 1907. 
The mean temperature was uniformly above the normal, no station hav- 
ing reported a deficiency; and while the average maximum temperature 
was. 7.9° lower than in March, 1907, the monthly mean was only 2.7° 
