8 



Prevailing Wind. — South-west. 

 Thunder-storms. — llih, 12th, 15th, 16th, 2fith. 

 Frost. — 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 19th, 24th, 28th. 

 EartUqucike. — 1st (7.06 and 7.09 p.m.). 



Remarks. 



The weather for Massachusetts for the month of May, 1891, 

 was cold and dry, with a small number of rainy days and a 

 slight excess of sunshine. The mean temperature was only 

 slightly below the normal, but there were several extensive 

 and severe frosts, the temperature on several mornings going 

 below the freezing point of water. Ice formed, and ground 

 froze to the depth of one inch in places on the 4th. On the 

 19th, frost was especially severe except on the immediate coast. 

 The lowest temperatures were recorded on the 6th. The 

 maximum temperatures occurred generally on the 10th or 11th. 



The precipitation at seven stations in Massachusetts having 

 records for more then ten years was 1.37 inches below the 

 average. 



The storms were, with one exception, poorly defined, and 

 there were no marked changes in the barometric pressure, it 

 remaining nearly normal throughout the month. The excep- 

 tion was the storm of the 16th, which ran north-easterly up 

 our coast. Light snow squalls occurred in sections on the 6th. 



The weather for New England since Jan. 1, 1891, may 

 be characterized as warm and wet. January and February 

 had an excess of temperature and precipitation and of cloudy 

 weather ; March had also an excess of temperature and pre- 

 cipitation, but the number of rainy days was below the 

 average and there was an excess of sunshine. At the end of 

 March, the spring was considered to be from a week to ten 

 days ahead of the average. April was warm and dry, and 

 the sunshine was in excess. The maximum and minimum 

 tem[)eratures for each month at the Boston Signal Oflice 

 were: January, maximum, 56"^ ; minimum, 4°; February, 

 maximum, ^'l'^ ; minimum, 5° ; March, maximum, 55^ ; 

 minimum, 3°; April, maximum, 78° ; minimum, 27° ; May, 

 maximum, 81° ; minimum, 33°. A heavy thunder-storm 

 occurred in south-eastern Massachusetts on the evening of 

 February 28, doing much damage by lightning. The snow- 

 fall has been slightly in excess. 



