62 Proceedings. 



of medium size. At 5000 ft. they are large and cold; at 

 6000 to 8000 ft. hail may be expected; aud at 10,000 ft. 

 heavy and hard-frozen hail. 



Snow. — Snow fell in January on nine days. In February 

 there was only one very slight shower, on the 28tli. In 

 March, snow fell on the 5th, 6th, and 15th. The next snow 

 fell on December 17tli, equal to about ^ in. of rain. A very 

 heavy fall occurred on December 26th, about 9 J in., in some 

 places nearly 12 in. The snow was of an exceedingly wet 

 aud heavy nature, in amount equal to about 1-73 in. of rain; 

 but it is difficult to measure with precision the exact amount 

 of water contained in a fall of snow. The great weight of the 

 snow restiug on telegraph-wires and on trees caused an 

 immense amount of damage. Telegraph-wires were broken 

 in all directions over a very extensive district, and the posts 

 which carried the wires were in many cases snapped short off. 

 The snow lay on the ground to the end of the year, and was 

 supplemented by a fall of about 6 in. on January 3rd and 4th, 

 but the record of this properly belongs to the year 1887. 



The storm of December 26th, which in our own district was 

 represented by a heavy fall of snow, was in other districts 

 represented by rain. At Torquay nearly 2 in. of rain fell ; 

 at Ryde no snow fell, but heavy rain. At Brighton there was 

 no snow, and below Ashford the storm was expended in rain. 

 In most districts where snow fell the storm began with rain, 

 indicating by its change into snow a sudden aud considerable 

 fall in the temperature. 



I have endeavoured to estimate tlie weight of snow which 

 rested on the telegraph-wires, and conclude that the weight 

 of snow on each wire from post to post would be about 

 13 pounds ; and as there are not unfrequently 20 wires on 

 one post, this would give a total weight of snow equal to 

 260 pounds, besides the weight of the wires themselves, very 

 considerably more. It is therefore not a matter for surprise 

 that this additional Aveight, with a strong wind blowing, 

 should have broken the wires, and have snapped the posts 

 themselves. If the snow liad been dry under the influence of 

 severe frost, it would have been blown off the wires like dust. 



