The monthly Weather Review. 95 



the most complete repository of climatic data in the world. 

 This publication, for eighteen years, has presented both in tab- 

 ular and graphic form the salient climatic conditions of the 

 United States so far as could be determined. From a folder the 

 size of ordinary letter paper, with only 37 lines of text and one 

 chart, it has grown to be a large, well printed quarto, averaging 

 28 pages to the month and having 50 charts annually. 



The Review from the very first was largely climatic, two-thirds 

 of the earliest numbers being given to temperature and rainfall, 

 and gradually this proportion in regard to climatic data and 

 discussion has increased until it amounts at length to fully 

 three-fourths. 



The single chart of storm-tracks was speedily followed by two 

 others, on which were respectively represented for the United 

 States (1) the monthly rainfall, and (2) the isobars, isotherms 

 and prevailing winds for the individual month. Other appro- 

 jjriate charts have likewise been reproduced, such as mean depth 

 of snowfall, the amount of snow on the ground in the middle or 

 at the end of month, the range of temperature, the move- 

 ments of high areas, the departures of temperature from the 

 normal, the distribution of thunder-storms in the United States 

 and Canada, etc ; and also charts indicating the limits of dan- 

 gerous ice in the northern Atlantic, and international charts for 

 the northern hemisphere, showing for tlie month the mean press- 

 ure and the mean temperature and prevailing winds at the hour 

 (Greenwich noon) of simultaneous observations. Similar maps 

 for the yearly means have also been issued for Canada and for 

 the United States and the northern hemisphere. 



From occasional and widely separated data as to wind, tem- 

 perature and rainfall on chart or in text of the first Review, the 

 present publication includes observations and means from ob- 

 servers as to maxima temperatures, minima temperatures, mean 

 temperatures and rainfall for each month, exceeding 2,000 in 

 number in the United States ; and other data from about 500 

 more stations in Canada and along the sea-coast of North Amer- 

 ica have also been discussed, thus making over 2,500 separate 

 monthly reports as to climatic conditions made available in 

 such manner that "he who runs may read." 



This summary conveys no adequate idea of the variety and 

 character of the immense and valuable masses of climatic data 

 which the monthlv Weather Review of the Signal service has 



