THE EUROPEAN STORM OF DECEMBER 21-28, 1836. 



IT 



At the same time snow was falling over a limited space about the Orkneys, on the 

 north of Scotland, 



On the 24th this long storm divided and formed two separate storms ; while the 

 eastern portion advanced towards the northeast ; but the other storm now covered 

 an area about 1,500 miles in diameter, its centre being over the eastern part of 

 France. There is no longer any region of unclouded sky on the southern side of 

 Europe, but only on the northern margin. On the 25th both storms occupied 

 nearly the same position as on the preceding day. On the 26th the Russian storm 

 had passed beyond the limits of Europe, or had disappeared entirely; while the 

 great storm of Western Europe had broken up into three separate areas of rain or 

 snow ; and in the southern part of Russia there appeared a new area of snow. 



On the 27th, between the parallels of 50 and 56 degrees, we find a continuous 

 belt of snow extending from east to west a distance of 2,000 miles, and a somewhat 

 smaller area of rain and snow on the south of Europe ; while a new area of rain 

 appears in the neighborhood of Iceland. On the 28th the phenomena are generally 

 similar to those of the 27th ; but the snow area of Central Europe is now only 

 about 900 miles from east to west ; while a fourth area of snow appears in Sweden. 

 The storm-cloud may now be said to extend over the whole of Europe ; but in 

 many places this cloud was thin, and at three stations the sky was left entirely 

 uncovered. 



It is desirable to know, not merely at what places rain fell, but also the amount 

 of rain at each localitj-. Unfortunately, in most of the meteorological journals, the 

 amount of rain is not stated at all ; or the total amount of rain for the month is 

 given, without stating the amount for each day. The following table indicates 

 all the stations at which there is given for each day the amount of rain or melted 

 snow: — 



From the preceding data we should infer that the greatest amount of precipita- 

 tion was in the northern part of Italy; but this conclusion is rendered somewhat 

 3 



