THE CLIMATOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES. 35 



Rain occurs and the climate assumes characteristics more 

 or less like our own, with the exception of the cold, as 

 the Japan current still exercises its influence on the tem- 

 perature, causing, as above stated, mild winters. Such 

 is a brief explanation of the causes operating to produce 

 the dry season in California. The dry summers and the 

 mild winters are the distinguishing features of this cli- 

 mate ; but, in addition, the claim is reasonably made that 

 no other region of equal area offers such a variety of cli- 

 mates as the State of California. This might seem 

 somewhat contradictory, especially when applied to the 

 summer season, but even then a great change in temper- 

 ature may be found by travelling from the coast inland or 

 from the valleys up into the mountain ranges. It may be 

 argued that various climates in one sense may be found in 

 New England in summer, by travelling from the coast 

 inland or among the White or the Green mountains. It is 

 true that in New England as elsewhere, it is likely to be 

 cooler near the seashore than inland, but aside from this 

 the two regions are quite dissimilar. In New England, 

 on the coast, it is at times as warm or nearly so, as in the 

 interior, and places in the interior are at times as cold as 

 those on the coast, while the moisture in the air causes 

 mugginess in warm weather and chilliness in cold weather ; 

 hence all localities here partake more or less of the 

 same characteristics. In California, though there may 

 be slight changes, the permanent climatic features of dif- 

 ferent localities are more marked : for example, in San 

 Francisco, although it has a somewhat disagreeable cli- 

 mate, we may expect about the same weather from day to 

 day throughout the summer season ; while if we pass a few 

 miles to the south into the Santa Clara valley, we may, 

 likewise, expect about the same weather from day to day, 

 but it will be unlike that of San Francisco, and although 



