REMARKS 



The weather for the month of January was consistently cold 

 and was accompanied by a considerable fall of light density snow. 

 The snowfall of 20.5 inches was considerably over the normal 13.32 

 inches, but the water yield was only 2.G3 inches against a normal 

 of 3.G1 inches of water. Of the 38.0 inches of snowfall cumulative 

 for the season, 17 inches remained on the ground on the 31st. 



The lowest minimum temperature of the month, 16, occurred 

 on the 24th. This was 10 degrees short of the record - 26 of Jan- 

 uary 1904 and was 5 degrees warmer than the -21 recorded in 

 January 1935. The maximum of 39 degrees recorded on the 9th 

 is the lowest maximum temperature recorded in the month since 

 the beginning of our records. The normal mean maximum for 

 January is 51.1 degrees while the mean maximum recorded for the 

 current month was 27.1 degrees. 



The mean temperature for the month at 18.0 degrees was 0.2 

 degree above January of 1945 but was considerably below the 

 normal mean of 24.2 degrees. Prior to 1945 the most recent severe 

 January was recorded in 1920. The degree-days of heating load 

 resulting from this very low mean built to 1459 for the month and 

 3932 cumulative for the season, against a normal of 1265 degree- 

 days for the month and a cumulative of 3817. On January 22, the 

 midpoint of the normal heating load, the cumulative degree-days 

 reached 3431 against a normal of 3425. 



W. H. Thies, Extension Professor of Horticulture, contributes 

 the following report: "An unusually heavy blanket of snow during 

 January has offered good protection to plant roots and has been 

 highly favorable for fall seedings. Some smothering of new seed- 

 ings may occur, however, if a layer of ice forms on top of the snow 

 as a result of freezing temperatures during subsequent rains. The 

 heavy snow cover will have another favorable effect in that a major 

 portion of the winter precipitation will be able to penetrate the 

 soil where it falls, since there has been relatively little freezing of 

 the soil. This assumes of course, a moderate rate of melting of 

 the snow. 



The temperature in various parts of the State has dropped 

 below thn critical point fo' peach buds (about -15°). Thi- will 

 undoubtedly mean some reduction in the 1948 peach crop. Little 

 or no damage to apple buds i^ apparent thus far. Fruit growers 

 may expect considerable mouse damage in orchards with heavy 

 grass cover, where control measures were not carried out last fall." 



