36 Dr. Forry on the Climate of the United Slates, S^c. 



The peculiar character of the climate of East Florida, as dis- 

 tinguished from that of our more northern latitudes, consists less 

 in the mean annual temperature than in the manner of its distri- 

 bution among the seasons. At Fort SnelHng, for example, the 

 mean temperature of winter is 15^-95, and of summer 72°-75, 

 whilst at Fort Brooke, Tampa Bay, the former is 64°'76, and the 

 latter 81°-25, and at Key West 70^-05 and 81°-39. Thus, 

 though the winter at Fort SnelUng is 54°'10 colder than at Key 

 West, yet the mean temperature of summer at the latter is only 

 8°'64 higher. Tn like manner, although the mean annual tem- 

 perature of Petite Coquille, Louisiana, is 2° lower — that of Au- 

 gusta Arsenal, Georgia, nearly 8° — and that of Fort Gibson, Ar- 

 kansas, upward of 10° lower — than that of Fort Brooke ; yet at 

 all, the mean summer temperature is higher. Between Fort 

 Snelling, on the one hand, and Fort Brooke and Key West on 

 the other, the relative distribution of temperature stands thus : 

 difference between the mean temperature of summer and winter 

 at the former 56°-60, and at the two latter 16°-49 and ll°-34; 

 difference between the mean temperature of the warmest and 

 coldest month, 61°-86 compared with 18°*66 and 14°-66; dif- 

 ference between the mean temperature of winter and spring, 

 30°-83 to 8°-35 and 5°-99 ; and the mean difference of success- 

 ive months, 10° -29 to 3°-09 and 2° -44. 



The diverse climatic peculiarities of Fort Snelling and Key 

 West are delineated in the accompanying engraving, Plate II. 

 The contrast in the course of the mean annual temperature of 

 these two posts, as traced through each month, is indeed striking, 

 while the variation of temperature on each of these monthly lines 

 is still more marked. Although the average minimum tempera- 

 ture of Fort Snelling in January is as low as 22° below zero, 

 while that of Key West is 57° above ; yet, strange to say, we 

 find the mean maximum temperature of July at the former 5° 

 higher than at the latter. The course of the seasons are equally 

 marked in their contrasts ; for while the curves of Key West are 

 confined within a few degrees, those of Fort Snelling are so op- 

 posite that the lines of spring and autumn traverse each other at 

 right angles, and those of summer and winter are so remote that 

 the one is truly hyperborean, and the other tropical. 



This remarkable equality in the distribution of temperature 

 among the seasons in Florida, compared with the other regions 



