240 "VV. MAREIOTT — THE WINTER OF 1878-79. 



E,ain, snow, and fog were less prevalent than in December, but 

 the sky was so persistently covered with cloud, that the sun, moon, 

 and stars were rarely visible. 



Mild weather set in on February 6th, and continued to the 16th, 

 during which period rain fell frequently, accompanied with S.W. 

 winds. The temperature was cold again from the 17th to March 

 3rd, with N. winds, frequent snow, and fog. During March, and 

 to April 9th, the weather was changeable, short cold and mild 

 periods alternating with each other ; that from the 22nd to the 

 28th being very cold, with snow and winds from the N. E. 



During the remainder of April and the whole of May, the 

 weather, with a few slight exceptions, was very cold, on some 

 occasions the temperature being more than 10° below the average. 

 Snow fell on several days, and as recently as May 10th. The fall 

 on May 1st was between 2 and 3 feet at Swindon, 



The Winter and Spring have been remarkable, not so much for 

 the low temperature, as for its Io72g continuance. This abnormal 

 condition, and the prevalence of N. to E. winds, were due to the 

 usual distribution of atmospheric pressure being reversed, the 

 highest persistently held to the north of these islands, while the 

 lowest was over France and the South of Europe. 



The cold weather has greatly retarded the growth of vegetation, 

 everything being fully a month behind the usual time. 



