124 BULLETIN OF THE 



On examining this table we find that of the eight 'cold summers 

 three were followed by a hot winter, three by a warm winter, one 

 by a mean winter, and one by a cold winter, which gives one out of 

 eight cold summers followed by a cold winter, and six by a hot or 

 warm winter. Taking all the cases, in forty-eight per cent, of them 

 any summer was followed by a winter of an opposite character ; 

 in forty-two per cent, the summers or winters were mean, and in 

 only ten per cent, of the cases were the summers followed by win- 

 ters of the same character. 



Making a similar comparison at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, we 

 find, out of the sixty-eight summers and winters on record at that sta- 

 tion, that fifty-two, or seventy-six per cent., were followed by a sea- 

 son of the opposite character; ten, or fifteen per cent., by a season 

 of the same character; and six, or nine per cent., were doubtful. 



We may also infer the character of the coming season for the 

 United States by noting the movement of the permanent winter area 

 of high pressure in respect to the Rocky mountains. It would seem 

 as though these tended to ward off the cold if the high area settles 

 down to the west of the range. 



The winter of 1877-'78 was warm, for during every month of 

 that season the high pressure was west of the Rockies, and the cold 

 waves were effectually barred from the Eastern States. In Decem- 

 ber of 1877 the high pressure was spread over a vast extent of ter- 

 ritory west of the range, and the temperature in the east rose to 7.2 

 degrees above the average. 



The winter months of 1880-'81 were cold. During that time the 

 high pressure was well to the east of the Rockies, and the tempera- 

 ture in the east fell below the average from two to six degrees. The 

 winter of 1881-'82 was warm, as the following tabulated form 

 shows, the plus sign indicating so many degrees above the average. 



Month. Temperature. Position of high pressure. 



1 88i, September +4°-6 Normal. 



October +3°-8 Normal. 



November -J- 2°. 2 Strong west of range. 



December +7°-7 Strong west of range. 



1882, January +2°. 7 Strong west of range. 



February +5°-6 Strong west of range. 



It is now too early to determine exactly what the weather of 



