256 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



from south, northwest, and north, divided among them one half the 

 month. There were no high winds. 



The warmest April on my book was that of 1854. The mean at 

 sunrise was 51.10, 9 a. m. 59.83, noon 68.43, 10 p. m. 52.90. The 

 extreme heat was 83, of cold 45. Rain on 6 days, 3.31 inches, nearly 

 two inches of which fell on the 28th, — the last rain of the season. The 

 sea breeze came nearly every day, though with moderate force. On 

 10 days the winds were from other quarters than west. During this 

 month the hills and fields assumed the gorgeous array of flowers which 

 marks a California landscape in the spring. 



May was a very unpleasant montli, cold and windy, oiten cloudy 

 and threatening rain. On one day onl}^ was there rain, and then but 

 two-hundredths of an inch, in the form of mist. The mean tempera- 

 ture at sunrise was 48.95, at 9 a. m. 59.00, at noon 64.61, at 10 p. m. 

 50.68 — being three degrees below April. The mercury rose no higher 

 than 73, and the low^est extreme was 43. There were light frosts on 

 several mornings, and vegetation advanced tardily. Potatoes of the 

 season's growth appeared in the market on the 1st. A hail storm oc- 

 curred at Sacramento on the 6th. The winds were westerly on 25 

 days. On 8 days they were high. 



June, also, was a cold month, rather below April in temperature. 

 Mean at sunrise 50.10, 9 a. m. 61.83, noon 66. 80, 10 p. m. 51.50. The 

 warmest day was 74, and the coldest morning 47. There was an un- 

 usual tendenc}^ to rain, and several times a few large drops deigned to 

 violate the law of the season. On the 17th it ramed moderately for 

 two hours, four-tenths of an inch collecting in the guage. On the 13th 

 was a heavy storm of rain and hail in Utah. On 23 days the wind was 

 west, and on four northwest. It was high on eight days. 



July was rather above the average temperature. The means were, 

 at sunrise 51.87, 9 a. m. 63.94, noon 70.65, 10 p. m. 54.16. In the 

 three years preceding, the mercury had not reached SO in July, but in 

 this year it was at or above 80 on four days, and on one day as high 

 as 87, which is near the extreme heat of our climate. The lowest ex- 

 treme was 46. The first week was beautifully clear, but afterwards 

 there was scarcely a morning or evening without cloud and mist. The 

 wind was constantly west, and on six days it was high. 



August was a trifle below the average temperature. Mean at sun- 

 rise 52.42, 9 A. M. 62.39, noon 68.29, 10 p. m. 53.81. There were two 

 days above 80, the highest being 85. The minimum temperature was 

 50. Almost every afternoon was windy, and though the wind was 

 high on one day only, yet the weather was about as unpleasant as our 

 summer climate can afford. The mornings were generally cloudy and 

 the evenings misty. A light shower of rain fell on the 27th. At Los 

 Angeles and San Diego it rained heavil}' on the 20th and 21st, and on 

 the Trinity river there was a thunder storm on the 26th, with heavy 

 rain and snow on the mountain peaks. 



September, commonly the warmest month in the year, was nearly 

 as cold as August. Mean at sunrise 53.30, 9 a. m. 61.43, noon 67.73, 

 10 p. M. 54.40. There were two warm days, on one of which the 

 mercury rose to 87. The greatest depression was 46. Cloudy morn- 

 ings and misty evenings prevailed, and the sea breeze blew with great 



