REMARKS 



The outstanding feature of the weather for the month of 

 January was the unusually high temperature. The mean temper- 

 ature for the month was 33.5 degrees which has been exceeded only 

 once in the history of the station. This was in 1913 when the 

 mean temperature for January was 34.2 degrees. The normal 

 mean temperature for January is 24,1 degrees. The highest tem- 

 perature for the month was 66 degrees on the 14th. This is the 

 highest temperature recorded in January since temperature records 

 have been taken in Amherst, beginning in 1836. The lowest 

 temperature during the month was 10 degrees on the 5th. The 

 normal minimum temperature for January is 7.4 degrees below 

 zero. In 1913 the minimum temperature for January was 11 

 degrees; in 1904 the temperature dropped to 26 degrees below zero. 

 The ground has been free from frost during more than half of the 

 month. Farmers were plowing in the valley during the warm spell 

 in the middle of the month. Dr. Shaw reports that peach buds 

 have swelled considerably due to the high temperature and will be 

 more sensitive than usual to low temperatures in February. The 

 total precipitation for the month was 3.67 inches, the normal being 

 3.42 inches. The total of 7.75 inches of snow fell during the month. 

 There was no snow on the ground on the first. Snow on the 2nd 

 and 3rd gave a total depth of 5 inches. This had all disappeared 

 by the 7th. A slight snowfall on the 9th melted by the 12th. A 

 fall of 1.50 inches on the 21st was completely melted by the 24th, 

 after which there was no snow. There were only 74.2 hours of 

 bright sunshine which is the least recorded in January since records 

 for sunshine have been obtained. The normal sunshine for Jan- 

 uary is 140 hours. The total wind movement for the month was 

 4870 miles, the normal being 5068 miles. The maximum daily 

 wind movement was 448 miles on the 31st. The maximum velo- 

 city was 39 miles per hour on the 31st. The prevailing wind 

 direction was northwest. 



C. I. GUNNESS, 

 K. M. WHEELER, Meteorologist 



Obsenrr 



450-1932-4098 



