H. Gibbons on the Climate of San Francisco for 1855, $311 
with a shower of hail. After the 23d the air was remarkably 
cold, the lowest point reached by the mercury being 29°, on the 
morning of the 24th. At noon it was 41°, with ice in the shade 
allday. After this, it was at or below the freezing point on five 
mornings, and during the last week of the month the ground 
continued frozen in the shade. In December 1850 the thermom- 
eter fell to 28°, and in January 1854 to 25°, but the last eight 
ys of December 1855 had a lower mean temperature than any 
other similar period since the commencement of my observations 
in 1850. The mountains of the Coast Range in the southeast 
Were seen covered with snow, and snow fell to a great depth in 
the northern counties. 
Summary for the year 1855.—The mean temperature of the 
Whole year was as follows: at sunrise, 50°-771, at 9 a.m. 579-563, 
at noon 64°-368, at 10 p.m. 529-916. The mean of the extremes, 
which represents the temperature of the year, was 57°-57, which 
coincides, it may be said precisely, with the mean temperature at 
9a. his appears to be nearly the mean temperature of our 
climate, as the following figures for five years ‘will show: 
Mean temperature of 1851, 56°-573 
4 . - 1852, 56°-537 
« «1853, 589-125 
a «1854, 579-209 
« 1855, 572-570 
“ “ for five years 579-203 
December was not only the coldest month in the year, but the 
coldest within the range of my record, which extends back to 
the winter of 1850-51. The month of January, 1854, comes 
Next in order, and then December, 1850. After the middle of 
January, the sun acquires sufficient power to raise the tempera- 
ture very materially. Hence February is never a cold month, 
and April is sometimes as warm as July. The autumn months 
are the warmest of the year, the cold sea breeze at that season 
declining in force. In 1855, the warmest month was August ; 
next comes September, then October, then July, then June, and 
then March. 
The extreme heat of the year was 90°. The mercury has at 
No time in the course of my observations reached this elevation, 
©xcept in September, 1852, when it stood at 97° and 98° respect- 
ively on two consecutive days. In the whole interior of the state, 
beyond the immediate influence of the ocean winds, this isa 
common temperature, and indeed much below the extreme heat 
or simmer. Whenever such weather occurs at San Francisco, 
itis by a suspension of the ordinary programme, the sea-breeze 
holding off and allowing the climate of the interior to invade its 
in. In some years the extreme heat at San Francisco is not 
