No. 4.] MASSACHUSETTS WEATHER. xxxiii 



Copious rains fell on the 20th to 23d, inclusive. There was 

 a cool wave on the 24th to 26th, with light frosts in some 

 sections. As a whole, the month was very pleasant and 

 characteristic of the season. 



The weather of October was generally characteristic of 

 the season. The month opened with several days of fair 

 weather, with temperatures somewhat below the average, and 

 the first rain, moderate showers, occurred on the 6th. Dur- 

 ing the 9th and morning of the 10th a general storm passed 

 over the State that caused moderate to copious and exces- 

 sive rains in all sections. In some sections it was attended 

 by high winds, and in some localities more or less damage 

 resulted from the overflowing of streams, washing of roads 

 and fields and the flooding of cellars. Moderate rains were 

 prevalent on the 20th and 21st, followed by several days of 

 generally fair weather. The month closed with rains on the 

 30th and 31st, with low temperatures. From the 18th to 

 the 28th the weather was very mild. October, as a whole, 

 was an exceptionally pleasant month, with the monthly tem- 

 perature slightly below the normal and a substantial defi- 

 ciency in the rainfall. 



The first week of November was generally fair and clear. 

 During the remainder of the month there were very few 

 days without rain in some section of the State. The i)recipi- 

 tation for the month as a whole was, however, considerably 

 below the average. Snow fell in appreciable amounts in 

 nearly all sections, and in some interior and northern por- 

 tions the monthly amount somewhat exceeded a foot. The 

 temperatures did not depart greatly from those usually 

 experienced at this season of the year. Generally speak- 

 ing, however, the weather was more severe than usual for 

 November. The chief storm occurred on the 15th and 16th, 

 and was of marked severity. The precipitation during the 

 passage of the storm was heavy, being rain in southeastern 

 sections and moist snow elsewhere. 



The marked features of the weather during; December 

 were the large amount of cloudiness, frequent precipitation 

 and a marked deficiency in the temperature. The precipita- 

 tion was well distributed, occurred on an average of eleven 



