9 



Precipitation. — Average, 5.50 inches; greatest, 8.25, at 

 Fitchburg ; least, 3.08, at Provincetown. Average for May 

 at Springfield for forty-six years, 4.17 ; for May, 1893, 5.48 ; 

 departure, -f-1.31. Average for May at Boston for twenty- 

 three years, 3.57 ; for May, 1893, 5.23 ; departure, -fl.66. 



Prevailing Wind Directions. — South-west and west. 



Thunder-storms. — 2d, 23d and 27th. 



Auroras. — Concord, 7th and 8th. 



Frost. — 7th, 8th and 9th. 



Rainbow. — Wakefield, 6 p.m., 27th. 



Remarks. 



At Fitchburg, 2.31 inches of rain fell between the hours 

 of 5 p.m., 16th, and 5 a.m., Nth. At that place apple trees 

 were in full bloom on the 23d, which has been the average 

 date for thirty-seven years. 



The temperature for the month of May, 1893, averaged 

 very nearly normal in eastern Massachusetts, and slightly 

 below in western sections. The maximum occurred gener- 

 ally on the 23d, and ranged from <8 to 94 degrees; the 

 minimum temperature occurred on several dates, but the 

 morning of the 8th was the coldest of the month. Light 

 frosts were reported on the 7th, 8th and 9th, but no damage 

 was done. The precipitation was above normal and heavy 

 in most sections. At Cambridge, 4.18 inches fell on the 3d 

 and 4th ; at Framingham, 3.51 inches on the same date. In 

 fact, more than half the rain during the month fell on the 

 first six days, at most stations. Considerable damage was 

 done by this storm (3d and 4th). A two-masted schooner 

 went down off Plum Island, carrying with her the crew of 

 four men. Bridges and dams were badly damaged in west- 

 ern Massachusetts. No severe thunder-storms occurred dur- 

 ing the month. 



