NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 31 
CLIMATE AND CROP REVIEW. 
Crop Season of 1908. 
During the first and second decades of January the temperature 
was decidedly above the normal and was not down to zero, except in 
the northern districts, until the 23d. After that date the temperature 
was more seasonable and records of zero or below were reported on one 
or more dates from all sections of the state; the lowest for the month 
and winter occurring on the 29th. The average precipitation was below 
the normal, and the amounts were uniformly small; the only storm of con- 
sequence was on the 31st, and was attended by rain, sncw and sleet, the 
latter causing a great deal of damage to fruit-trees, telegraph, telephone, 
and electric car lines, but, on the whole, the month was exceptionally 
pleasant with an abundance of sunshine. 
February opened cold with the temperature below zero on the 1st and 
2d, and these were the coldest days of the month. After the 2d, the 
weather was quite moderate, except on the 18th, 20th and 27th, when the 
temperature was nearly to or below zero; but the average temperature 
for the month was considerably above the normal, the greatest excess 
being in the northern counties where it averaged 5.9° above the normal. 
The precipitation was heavier than ever before recorded in February 
since the organization of the State Weather Service in 1890. The snow- 
fall was unusually heavy, and the excess in precipitation for the month 
was due mostly to the severe snowstorm which swept over the state on 
the 18th. It was the most severe storm of tne winter; the amounts of 
snow ranged from 2 to 4 inches, in the northern counties, to 10 to 16 
inches, in southern and eastern counties. The storm vras attended by 
high winds which drifted the snow badly and delayed traflfic in all sec- 
tions of the state, and, on some of the railroads in the southern section, 
no trains were run for two days. The snow melted rapidly on the 
22d and 23d, and at the close of the month the ground was uncovered 
except a trace in the northeastern counties. 
The w^eather during March was excetionally mild and pleasant with 
the temperature uniformly above the normal, and the precipitation below 
the normal, except over the east central counties. The coldest day 
of the month was on the 8th, when the minimum temperatures in a few 
of the northwestern counties were from one to eight degrees below 
zero. The precipitation was quite well distributed and fell mostly in 
the form of rain, no snow being reported except small amounts in the 
central and northern counties. The month afforded more than the usual 
number of pleasant days for farm and other out-door work. The growth 
of vegetation was not as far advanced at the end of the month as it was 
at the close of March, 1907, but fully .as much seeding of small grain 
and plowing for corn had been done. 
