REMARKS 



The weather during the month of February was marked with 

 continued low temperature. The mean temperature for the month 

 was 11.6 degrees, the normal mean being 23.5 degrees. This 

 is the coldest month on record at Amherst. The nearest approach 

 to this low temperature is found in the records of Prof. Snell of 

 Amherst College, when he recorded 15.2 degrees in 1885. His 

 temperature records run back to 1837. The lowest temperature was 

 22 degrees below zero on the 9th. This has been exceeded only once 

 previously in February, when a temperature of 22.5 degrees below 

 zero was recorded in 1918. The practice of recording maximum and 

 minimum temperatures to one-half degrees was discontinued in 1928. 

 The temperature fell to zero or below on 15 days. The nearest 

 approach to this number was in 1918, when there were 10 days of 

 zero weather. Considering the weather during the three winter 

 months, December, January and February, it is interesting to note 

 that the mean temperature for this period for the current year is 

 19.5 degrees, the normal being 24.9 degrees. This has been exceeded 

 only once since this station was established in 1889. That was during 

 the winter of 1917-18 when the mean for the three months was 16.8 

 degrees. The temperature fell to zero or below on 23 days during 

 the present winter, while there were 26 days of zero weather in 

 1917-18. The domestic heating load is now 5520 degree-days since 

 September 15, whereas the normal for this period is 4935 degree-days 

 or an excess of 12 per cent . 



The precipitation during the month was 2.82 inches, all in 

 the form of snow. The normal precipitation for February is 3.35 

 inches. The snowfall during the month was 26 inches, the normal 

 being 14.25 inches. While the snowfall was but slightly higher than 

 usual, the blizzard on the 20th caused great inconvenience to traffic 

 on account of drifting. The total wind movement on the 20th was 

 454 miles with a maximum of 48 miles per hour. The total snowfall 

 during the present winter is 53.75 inches, the normal for these 

 months being 38.31 inches. The ground was covered with snow 

 throughout the month with an estimated depth of 13 inches at the 

 end of the month. There were 191 hours of bright sunshine during 

 the month, the normal for February being 160 hours. 



Dr. J. K. Shaw of the Department of Pomology gives the 

 following statement: 



"The most sevei-e winter since 1918 has killed prac- 

 tically all the peach fruit buds in the state. There is prob- 

 ably some injury to peach trees but it may be expected to 

 be severe only with weak grov^^ing trees. There is no reason 

 to fear great damage to apple trees in orchards that have 

 been well cared for. Some damage may be expected to rasp- 

 berries and any young sweet cherry trees are likely to show 

 injury. There may be some damage to plum buds especially the 

 Japanese varieties. It is unlikely that there will be serious 

 losses to the industry excepting those arising through the 

 loss of 1934 peach crop." 



C. I. GUNNESS, Meteorologist 

 HERBERT JENKINS, Observer. 



