Rain. — The quantity of water, which 

 falls in rain and snow in any one year, 

 does not probably differ very considerably 

 in the different sections of the state, but 

 observations are too few to enable us to 



speak with much confidence on this point. 

 The quantity of water, however, which 

 falls at the same places in different years, 

 varies very considerably, as will appear 

 from the followintr table : 



The depth of water, which falls during 

 a rain storm or thunder shower, is much 

 less than people generally suppose. A 

 fall of 4 or 5 inches during a severe thun- 

 der shower would not be thought at all 

 extravagant by persons who have paid no 

 attention to the accurate measurement of 

 the quantity which fell. But during the 

 eeven years observations at Burlington 

 contained in the above table, the depth of 

 water which fell in one shower has nev- 

 er exceeded two inches, and the whole 

 amount in 24 hours has, in only one in- 

 stance, exceeded three inches, and that 

 was on the 13th of May, 1833, when the 

 fall of water was 3.54 inches. 



Snow. — For more than three months of 

 the year the ground is usually covered 

 with snow, but the depth of the snow, as 

 well as the time of its lying upon the 

 ground, vary much in the different parts 

 of the state. Upon the mountains and 

 liigh lands, snows fall earlier and deeper, 

 and lie later in the Spring than upon the 

 low lands and valleys, and it is believed 

 that they fell much deeper in all parts of 

 the state, before the country was much 

 cleared, than they have for many years 

 past. As little snow falls at Burlington, 

 probably, as at any place in the state. 

 The following table exhibits the amount 

 at this place for the last five winters : 



