3G6 METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. — DOANE 



It was feared that the snow which, without rain or soft 

 weather, had piled so high, would be melted by a rain storm 

 when great loss would have resulted. Rivers would flow 

 throut-h the streets and alono^ car tracks and sidewalks, floodinof 

 cellars, as few gutters or catchpits had been kept open. Bridges 

 would have been carried away and roads and railways washed 

 out, making transportation dangerous to life. Fortunately the 

 sun did the work gradually and practically unaided, until the 

 danger was passed and the great snows of 1904-5 had dis- 

 appeared. 



A comparison with past meteorological history shows that 

 the past winter has been the worst snow winter on record. 

 While it takes second place in total depth of snowfall, it takes 

 first place in minimum depth of rainfall. In the winter of 

 1881-2 the snowfall (the deepest on record) was 124.72 inches- 

 and the rainfall for December, January, February, March and 

 April, 20.543. In 1904-5 the figures are 123.92 and 9.959, 

 While the difiTerence in depth of snow is a fraction of an inch 

 only, the difiference in rainfall is over 10 inc'ies. The snow 

 falling in 1904-5 came in severe storms, and from December to 

 March there was almost no rain and practically no thaw. The 

 result was that the snow piled up to a greater height with each 

 storm, while in an ordinary winter rains and thaws dispose of 

 the surplus snow. 



The accompanying tables show in detail the snow records 

 since the establishment of the Government Meteorological 

 Station at Halifax. A study of these tables shows that during 

 the 36 years the heaviest snowfalls have occurred every 10 to 

 12 years, viz.: in the winters 1871-2, 1881-2, 1893-4 and 

 1904-5, the fall in the last three being practically the same. 

 It may also be noted that there were at least three years in 

 succession above the maximum. 



As there have been two heavy 3'ears only this time, there 

 may be another due in the winter of 1905-6. 



