ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART I 



MONTHLY SUMMARIES 



JANUARY. 



The first ten days of January were unseasonably cold, but the remain- 

 der of the month, with the exception of two or three days, was mild, so 

 that the average temperature for the month was only slightly below 

 the normal. The 6th and 7th were the coldest days, the lowest tempera- 

 ture occurring generally on the 6th, when the minimum ranged from 

 — 8° to — 33°, over the southern counties, and, from — 18° to — 35°, 

 over the northern counties. The lowest temperatures were recorded in 

 the western portion of the southern, and in the eastern portion, of the 

 northern districts. There have been six colder Januarys during the past 

 21 years, but the minimum for the state, for the past month, was lower 

 than in any January since 1S'92. The 19th and 25th were generally the 

 warmest days, but there were only two or three days in the month on 

 which the minimum temperature was above the freezing point, even in 

 the extreme southern portions of the state. 



The precipitation was above the normal, except in the southeast, and 

 west central districts where there was a slight deficiency. Most of it 

 fell in the form of snow during two storms; the first of which occurred 

 on the 4th-5th, and the second on the 12th-13th. The fall of snow during 

 these two storms was unusually heavy, and caused much delay in railroad 

 traffic, which, together with the severe cold weather, during the early 

 part of the month, came very near causing a fuel famine in this state. 

 Only the energetic efforts of the railroad companies in clearing the snow 

 from the tracks, and abandoning all freight trains, excepting those carry- 

 ing coal, in order that fuel could be distributed as rapidly, and in as large 

 quantities as possible, prevented serious suffering of the people in many lo- 

 calities. As it was, all coal had been exhausted in many towns, several 

 days before a supply could be delivered to them. The accumulation of 

 snow also did considerable damage to buildings, especially in the northern 

 part of the state. The roofs of numerous structures collapsed as a result 

 of the weight of the snow, causing damage estimated at about $10,000, in 

 the City of Dubuque. Snow flurries occurred at frequent intervals during 

 the latter half of the month, but the amounts of snow were small, and 

 only tended to prolong the good sleighing, which began on December 5th 

 or 6th. The ground was thoroughly covered with snow during the entire 

 month, in the northern, and most of the month, in the southern districts 

 and as a result, fall grains suffered no injury from the effects of the cold 

 weather. 



Temperature. — The monthly mean temperature for the State, as shown 

 by the records of 117 stations, was 18.1°, which is 1.2° below the normal 



