REMARKS 



With the exception of the 8th the mild weather of the previous 

 month continued until the 20th when a precipitous drop in tem- 

 perature occurred which carried through to the end of the month. 

 This greatest daily wind movement during the month combined with 

 this temperature change provided the most uncomfortable winter 

 conditions to that point of the season. The low of — 8 degrees on the 

 morning of the 21st however only approximated the — 7.1 mean 

 lowest temperature for the month, and the mildness earlier provided 

 a mean of 24.5 degrees against an average mean of 23.7. The heating 

 load continued very moderate at 1132 degree-days for the month 

 to accumulate 4383 degree days for the season. The lengthening 

 days with fair to clear cloud conditions helped offset the cold air 

 masses and heavy nocturnal radiation on clear nights. 



The precipitation of 23.8 inches of snow which yielded 3 99 

 inches of water provided a margin above the mean of 3.19 inches for 

 the month which will eventually be available to the ground water 

 supply. 



William G. Colby, Professor of Agronomy, contributes the fol- 

 lowing report: "The rclativtly mild temperatures during the first 

 19 days of the month, coupled with somewhat more than average 

 rainfall, helped tremendously in replenishing badly depleted soil 

 moisture reserves. The last 10 days of the month were colder than 

 normal but the ground was covered with a heavy blanket of snow, 

 therefore preventing deep penetration of frosts into the soil." 



"This means that soil moisture reserves will be still further re- 

 plenished when the present snow cover melts. Field crop conditions 

 to this point in the season continue favorable. A similar condition 

 prevailed last year. Our summer drought would have been more 

 serious had it not been for the absorption by the soil water produced 

 from a comparatively heavy, late winter fall of snow." 



