CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE — ^PIERSON 



15 



of the rainy season during the same 23 years, aver- 

 aged 34.1 inches, with a maximum in December 

 and January (9.7 inches each month) and a mini- 

 mum in Marcli (6.6 inches). For the 3 months 

 of the intermediate season (September-Novem- 

 ber), the average rainfall each year during the 

 same period was 14.8 inches, the maximum rain- 

 fall being in November (6.2 inches) and the mini- 

 mum in September (3.6 inches). 



The temperature during the 11 years from 1937 

 to 1948, inclusive, or the period for which complete 

 data are available, ranged from a minimum of 32° 

 F. to a maximum of 97°. The former figure was 

 registered only' four times during this period : 

 once each in June, July, August, and September. 

 The maximum of 97° was registered six times 

 during these 11 years: four times in October and 

 twice in December. July, the "coldest" month, 

 had an average temperature of 58° during this 

 period. January was the warmest month, with 

 an average temperature for the 11 years of 71°. 

 These data are summarized in tables 3 and 4. 



Table 4. — Maximum, minimum, and average temperatures, 

 by years, Cruz das Ahnas community, 193S-^S ' 



Year 



1938 

 1939 

 1940 

 1941 

 1942 

 1943 

 1944 

 1945, 

 1940 

 1947 

 1948. 



Maximum temperatiore 



Degrees 



Fahren 



heit 



Month in which 

 occurred 



January... 



November, December. 



October, December 



February 



October, November.. 



January 



October, December... 



October 



-__.do.. 



December _. 



January 



Minimum temperature 



Degrees 



Fahren 



heit 



Month in 

 which occurred 



July 



August 



July, August. 

 September... 

 June, July... 

 September... 

 July, August 

 June, July... 



do. 



June 



August 



Aver- 



65 

 66 

 67 

 66 

 64 

 64 

 65 

 65 

 66 

 frl 

 65 



^ Source : A private agency. See footnote 31, p. 14. 

 readings in centigrade are here given in Fahrenheit. 



Original 



Average temperatures, however, are not an ac- 

 curate index of actual climate in the area. 

 Changes in temperature during the same day are 

 often considerable. Within the space of only a 

 few hours, abrupt declines may bring discomfort 

 to persons without adequate clothing or shelter. 

 These sharp changes are due in part to the shift- 

 ing of the large air masses, especially those of the 

 south polar and the Amazon regions, which to a 

 considerable extent are responsible for the climate. 

 These abrupt changes more often (and usually 

 more appreciably) are due, however, to the cool- 



ing of the eai'th's surface at this altitude after 

 nightfall. During the "winter" month of July 

 1947, for example, the average variation in tem- 

 perature per day was 23.1° F. ; the maximum varia- 

 tion was 38°; the minimum variation was 9°. 

 During the "summer" month of January, a half 

 year later, the variation per day was similar: an 

 average variation of 21.6° F. ; a maximum varia- 

 tion of 34° (on 3 different days) ; and a minimum 

 variation of 6°. These data are indicated in 

 table 5. 



Table 5. — Daily variations in temperature (° F.), sample 

 m,onths in winter and summer, Cruz das Almas com- 

 munity, 1947-4S ' 



1 Source : A private agency. See footnote 31, p. 14. 

 readings in centigrade are here given in Fahrenheit. 



Original 



It is possible that the climate has changed some- 

 what in the last quarter century. Statistical data, 

 however, are lacking either to confirm or to deny 

 this supposition. The inhabitants maintain that 

 "20 or 30 years ago" it was colder in the "cold 

 season" and warmer in the "warm season." Said 

 an informant, "A basin of water left out on the 

 eve of Sao Joao ^- used to have ice in it by morn- 

 ing; today, it has only water." It is also main- 

 tained that rainfall was heavier before the timber 

 was cut off. Farmers allege that it is more difii- 



'= The principal festa, celebrated each year on June 24. 



