REMARKS 



The weather for the month continued the mildness recorded 

 for the first month of the new year. With a mean daily temperature 

 of 30.4 degrees, it was the warmest February since 1890 which 

 recorded 33.6 degrees, and is approached only by February 1937 

 which showed 30.0 degrees. Against a normal mean daily tem- 

 perature of 23.7 and last year's 21. -4 degrees the month showed a 

 mildness that was appreciated. The house-holder had to supply 

 fuel for only 958 degree-days of heating load against last year's 

 1264 and the normal 1165 degree-days. At the end of the month 

 the cumulative load for the season stood at 4086 against last year's 

 6196 degree-days and the normal 4982, or only 82 per cent of nor- 

 mal. 



The snow fall was nearly normal but the precipitation of 2.47 

 inches of water was 0.72 inches less than the mean for the month. 

 Some amount of snow covered the ground until the 19th, and from 

 that date the ground was bare until the storm of the 28th. Follow- 

 ing a trace of snow on the 5th, the morning of the 6th recorded 

 the lowest temperature of the winter, -1 degree. Excepting the 

 zero recorded the morning of the 12th, the other cold mornings 

 of the month were merely "frosty" and coupled with warm after- 

 noons started the maple sugar season. 



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

 the following report: "One might think that an unseasonably mild 

 winter would cause very early development in all kinds of vege- 

 tation. But, fortunately, plant life is not greatly influenced by 

 above normal winter temperatures. The mean temperature during 

 February was more than 6° above normal and yet apple buds, al- 

 though somewhat swollen, remain in a more or less dormant con- 

 dition. I'f cool weather prevails during the next few weeks, Mc- 

 intosh apple trees may still come into bloom around May 10 to 

 15,. as usual. 



Concerning the effect of recent weather on forest trees, A. D. 

 Rhodes of the Forestry Department says, "The mild winter has 

 to date been generally favorable for forest trees. Plentiful rain- 

 fall, which fell on soil relatively free of frost and therefore well 

 able to absorb it, has restored any deficit in soil moisture that may 

 have existed as an aftermath of last summer's drought. Winter 

 killing of conifers resulting from excessive transpiration, which 

 might have been anticipated, is not likely to occur. Growth this 

 spring should begin fairly early and proceed rapidly unless the 

 weather at that time is unseasonably cold. Cold spring weather 

 may damage buds of some trees, especially' those not well pro- 

 tected, which already have shown some response to the spring- 

 like conditions during February." 



