8 



36° at Amherst on the 22d ; range, 58*^ ; greatest local 

 monthly range, 55° at Amherst; least local monthly range, 

 25° at Nantucket ; greatest daily range, 45° at Amherst on 

 the 23d ; least daily range, 4° at Boston on the 13th and at 

 Nantucket on the 21st and 27th. At Springfield, the mean 

 temperature was 0.8° below the normal ; at Fitchburg it was 

 0.6° below; at Boston 0.5° below and at Nantucket about 

 1° below. 



Precipitation. — Average, 1.46 inches; greatest amount, 

 3.03 at Boston; least, 0.32 at Amherst. At Springfield, 

 the total precipitation was 3.52 inches less than the usual 

 amount for August ; at Fitchburg it was 4.77 inches less; 

 at Boston, 1.44 inches less ; and at Nantucket 3.30 inches 

 less. 



Prevailing wind. — South-west. 



Thunder-storms. —M, 9th, 15th, 19th, 20th. 



Frost. — 2 2d. 



Hail. — 19th, Concord. 



Remarl:s. 

 The weather for Massachusetts for the month of August 

 was cool with comparatively low maximum temperatures, 

 and with the lowest minimum ever recorded at some places 

 during August. There were few rainy and cloudy days and 

 an unusual lack of rainfall. The number of thunder-storms 

 was exceptionally small, and very little damage was done 

 by lightning. It was a very good month for harvesting and 

 other outdoor work, but a poor mouth for the proper devel- 

 opment of crops. The drought has become very serious in 

 all sections of the State and many correspondents report 

 that it is unprecedented in the history of their towns. The 

 western part of the State was not greatly aff*ected by the 

 drought which prevailed in July, but is sufiering nearly as 

 badly as any other district now. The correspondent at 

 Monroe, Franklin County, reports that the month closes 

 with the brooks, springs and wells lower than known for 

 many years, if ever. The frost of the 22d was general 

 throughout the State, but its damage was confined to low- 

 lands and fields adjacent to swamps. 



