6 



April was remarkable for the large number of clear and 

 fair days, there being but six stormy days during the month. 

 The early part of the month averaged cool, and the closing 

 days were unusually warm. The average temperature of 

 the month was very near the normal, but there was a 

 marked deficiency in precipitation. Preliminary spring 

 work made excellent progress. 



May was remarkably deficient in precipitation, for while 

 the number of days with a measurable amount of precipita- 

 tion averaged about as usual, there was no good, soaking 

 rain. As the result the precipitation was the smallest since 

 the establishment of the Weather Service in 1870. The 

 temperature averaged about 1° per day above the normal. 

 The coolest period of the month was from the 17th to the 

 23d, when frosts were prevalent in exposed localities. An 

 abundance of sunshine was a feature of the month. Crop 

 prospects were much impaired by the continued drought of 

 April and May. 



The first part of June gave extreme heat and absence of 

 precipitation, less than .9 inch falling at Boston, as against 

 a normal of about 1.75 inches. The temperature of the 

 month was decidedly above the normal, the average daily 

 departure being about 5° plus. The drought was broken 

 during the latter part of the month by severe thunder storms 

 with excessive precipitation, but any damage to fruit and 

 " washing " of fields was more than compensated for by their 

 beneficial effects. Much damage was done to fruit and glass 

 in the western part of the State by a severe hail-storm on 

 the 24th. 



General showers occurred in the first week in July, which 

 effectually broke the drought that existed through May and 

 June. These conditions continued until the 18th of the 

 month, but from the 18th to the 25th the showery weather 

 was confined to the western sections of the State. At the 

 end of this period a second drought was complained of in 

 eastern sections, which was, however, relieved by copious 

 showers on the 25th and 26th. The temperature averaged 

 somewhat above the normal, but was generally devoid of 

 extremes. July did much to repair the damage resulting 

 from the dry weather of the two preceding months. 



