24 



Although the winds were somewhat more boisterous during May 

 than in April there were no half-day periods in which the wind averaged 

 the force of a moderate gale. At four separate times during the month 

 the wind reached the force of a moderate gale, but the gale did not 

 last long. The total number of hours of gales for the month was 11. 



JUNE WEATHER 



Maximum air temperature, 60° F. 



Minimum air temperature, 40° F. 



Average air temperature, 48.8° F. 



The visibility was less than 4 miles 62.2 per cent of the time. 



The visibility was less than 2 miles 54.2 per cent of the time. 



The one word, "fog," would be an accurate summary for the 

 weather for June. During the first cruise of the month the outer 

 fringe of two disturbances in which the wind attained the force of a 

 fresh gale passed over the ice patrol vessel. During the first part of 

 the last cruise a low-pressure area was stationary over the ice regions 

 for a period of five days, being held there by high pressure on all sides. 

 This low pressure was accompanied by gentle to moderate northeast 

 winds and fog. Then a family of "lows " passing over the Great Lakes 

 and the Gulf of St. Lawrence crossed the ice regions in rapid succes- 

 sion. During the passing of the "lows" south and southeast winds 

 accompanied by dense fog prevailed. For about 12 hours between 

 each pair of lows we had west winds and clear weather. The num- 

 ber of hours with wind force 7 or more, Beaufort scale, was 22. 



During June abnormal refractions were observed on several days. 

 On the 13th the observed latitude by Polaris gave a line of position 

 15 miles south of the true position. At daylight a vessel south of 

 the ice patrol appeared to be steaming along upside down. Two 

 horizons were distinctly visible. The angle between them when 

 measured with a sextant was 10 minutes. This condition disappeared 

 at about 9 a. m. At that time the patrol vessel was at the junction 

 of the warm and cold waters south and west of the tail of the Banks 

 near latitude 42° 20' N., longitude 51° 30' W. The weather condi- 

 tions were as follows : 



Air temperatures, dry 49° F., wet 48° F.; 



Surface temperature sea water, 45° F.; 



Wind, west, force 1 ; 



Barometer, 30.24. 



Such conditions as described above are often found by the ice 

 patrol vessel. 



