DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF WINDS. 



683 



If, as was said before, the winds of this coast have monsoon features, these 

 monsoon winds do not overpower others, especially in winter. At that season of 

 the year the pressure is high in the latitude from 25° to 35° N. on the coast of 

 California, and in the same latitudes on the Pacific Ocean. Winds from this re- 

 gion are quite frequent, and passing over the warm waters of the Japanese cur- 

 rent, give a very warm climate to the whole coast. The winter temperature of 

 Sitka is equal to that of New York, and above that of St. Louis. 



It seems to me that the S. E. winds which are so frequent on this coast, are, 

 partly at least, the deflected S. W. winds of the Pacific. The mountain-chains 

 give them a direction from the S. S. E. 



The Aleutian islands are very near to the centre of lowest pressure on the 

 Pacific, at least in winter. They occupy a position similar to that of Iceland in 

 the Atlantic ; the same may be said of the island of St. Paul in Behring Sea. 

 The storms are frequent and severe, and the winds polar and equatorial in turn, 

 without a marked predominance of either. In summer the centre of depression 

 moves to the northward and inland, and accordingly the winds are principally 

 from the south. 



In Washington Territory the winds of the coast-region are very similar to those 

 of Sitka. In the interior of Washington and Oregon the winds have no strongly 

 marked monsoon character. (See also Maps, PL 5, 6, 8, and 11.) 



Percentages 



, 



Winter. 1 



3 



3 

 3 



7 



7 

 8 



3 

 3 



5 



m 



20 



20 

 3 



to 



13 

 13 



5 



39 

 89 



27 



7 



7 



30 



si 



8 



8 



18 



15 



4 

 4 

 3 



a 



8 



8 



15 



m 



2 



2 

 8 



23 



23 



6 



13 

 13 



8 



36 

 36 

 33 



1.5 





S. E. Washington .... 

 N. E. Washiugtou . . . 

 N. E. Oregon 



11 

 11 

 11 



The S. W. is here the prevailing wind, winter and summer, as in the same lati- 

 tudes on the oceans and in Europe. We must see in these winds a continuation 

 of the equatorial current of the Pacific, which crosses the coast-ranges and 

 descends into the valleys, while part of it is deflected by these mountains and 

 appears as a S. E. wind at Sitka. The winds of California difi"er in some respects 

 from those of the northern Pacific coast. They are westerly at all seasons of the year, 

 more S. W. in winter and N. W. in summer. The winds of the summer are very 

 strong and steady, giving to the California coast a peculiar climate — a summer 

 colder than anywhere in the same latitude even in the southern hemisphere. In 

 some places the prevailing winds in summer are S. W., and the mean direction also 

 south of W. This is probably due to the position of the coast, so that the S. W. 

 seems to be a local sea-wind. At San Diego the number of miles was also ob- 

 served, and I have calculated separately the percentages for the number of obser- 

 vations and for the number of miles, in the three summer months. 



