REMARKS. 



The month of December was generally cold and dry. The mean 

 temperature was slightly above normal. The rainfall, 2.51 inches 

 below normal. Total snowfall for the mouth was three inches. 

 There was only a trac^ of snow on the ground in sheltered places on 

 the 15th and at the close of the month. The local forecast as com- 

 pared at Amherst was correct to 90.5 percent; the Washington 

 forecast 88.9 per cent. 



The following summary is furnished by the New England Weather 

 Service : 



The weather in Massachusetts for the month of December was cold 

 and dry ; fair weather has been in excess and the number of rainy 

 days was less than usual. The air pressure was very near the normal 

 with few rapid or marked changes. The amount of precipitation 

 varied from .65 inch at Randolph, and 1.01 inch at Amherst to 1.70 

 at New Bedford, and 2 16 at Beverly Farms. At New Bedford the 

 fall was 2.37 inches below the average for eighty years. At Boston 

 it was 2.34 inches below ; while at the latter station the daily mean 

 temperature was above the normal from the 7th to 17th and below 

 from the 20th to 30th, and for the whole month the temperature 

 averaged 3° per day below the average for 21 ^^ears. On the 24th 

 the minimum was at zero while the maximum was onlj' 13° ; the mean 

 for this day was 24° below the normal. At New Bedford the monthly 

 temperature was nearly 4° below the normal for 81 years. The snow- 

 fall was deficient, not exceeding more than one to two inches, and 

 no more than a trace of snow and ice lay on the ground on the 15th 

 or 31st, so the unusually low temperature from the 20th to 30th 

 probably caused some damage to grass and grain. The Connecticut 

 river was closed for navigation at Middletown, Conn., on the 23d. 

 A flock of wild geese were seen flying south at New Bedford on the 

 24th. At Concord at 6.50 p. m. on the 27th a meteor was seen in 

 the north at an altitude of 65°, disappearing near the horizon, and 

 increasing in brightness ; it was more brilliaut than a star of the 

 first magnitude. 



C. D. WARNER, Meteorologist. 

 FRANK L. WARREN, Assistant. 



