PHYSICAL AND CLIMATIC SETTiyC 23 



0, and in the southern peninsula some 10 degrees 

 higher. Extreme minimum temperatures range 

 from 25 to 40 degrees in the State, while the record 

 for the lowest winter temperature is also held by 

 the northern peninsula : namely, -49 degrees at Hum- 

 boldt, Februar}^ 1899. ]\Iichigan experiences its 

 coldest weather on the highlands of the iron ranges 

 in the Upper Peninsula and in the central elevated 

 areas of the northern section of the Lower Penin- 

 sula. With snow on the ground from November 

 to April, sometimes for a longer period, agriculture 

 is crowded into a period of fewer days, of more 

 daylight and twilight than the southern counties 

 enjoy; while the winters present a special problem in 

 the maintenance of live-stock.^ 



The lower temperatures normally prevailing in 

 the higher latitudes seem to be primarily responsible 

 for a "tone'" or "tang"' in the atmosphere not found 

 farther south. To travelers between the two penin- 

 sulas this condition is very noticeable, and is ex- 

 plained by Schneider and other students of the 

 climate of the State as resulting from the lower 

 "absolute" humidity of the northern atmosphere, 

 lower temperature, and the more rapid evaporation 

 from the body, with a consequent feeling of ex- 

 hilaration. Concurrently, the northern air is free 

 from organic matter, due to the prevailing north- 

 westerly trend of the winds, which thus pass over 



*U. S. Dept. Agr. : "Climatologj' of the United States," 

 vVasl'in<rton. 1906, 556 (Sclineider ) . "Surface Geology of 

 JMicliigan," 17, 



