128 



Notes on the Meteorology 



Thus the average brought by southerly winds has exceeded 

 that brought by northerly in the proportion 13'4 to 114. 

 Arranged according to the seasons, we find the rainfall during 

 spring is nearly double that of summer or winter. The 

 heaviest flood on record occurred towards the close of the 

 autumnal season during May, 1870. 



Year. 



Autumn. 



Winter. 



Spring. 



Summer. 



Year. 



1880 



1881 



1882 



1883 ... 



9-08 

 5-68 , 

 5-21 

 3-44 



5-52 

 3-74 



6-80 

 4-64 



7-52 

 7-84 

 8-78 

 8-93 



7-83 

 4-38 

 2-26 



4-21 



1879-80 

 1880-81 

 1881-82 

 1882-83 



Average 



5-85 



5-19 



8-27 



4-67 





The probable annual rainfall at Omeo amounts to 25 inches, 

 and the prevailing moisture-laden winds are south-westerly 

 and north-westerly. During exceptional seasons heavy rains 

 come from S. or ■ S.E. Rev. Mr. Yeal, of Bright, informs me 

 that the rainy months at Bright, which is N.W. from Omeo 

 in the valley of the Ovens, are June to October, and that 

 the moisture-laden winds are prevailingly north-westerly ; 

 that the greatest fall of rain which has been recorded within 

 24 hours is 4*68 inches. As Bright is situated where the 

 ascensional movements of north-westerly currents of air 

 commence to sweep over the high Bogong Ranges to the east, 

 it is not to be wondered at that the rainfall at this place 

 should be the heaviest for the number of days upon which 

 rain fell throughout the year among the official returns for 

 different parts of the colony, averaging -40 inches per day. 



Snow. 



Snow falls at all heights above 2000 feet, but at the lower 

 levels seldom remains longer than a few days, thawing 

 quickly as it falls, unless on the shaded hill-sides, where the 

 frosts harden the crust. The distribution of snow seems to 

 be affected by many complex causes ; it is noticed that at 

 similar elevations, in the sanie locality, the depth of snow after 

 a fall is. very unequal. It is possible that different radiating 

 properties of various soils or rock masses* may exert some 

 influence in the more rapid congelation or thawing of snow- 

 flakes, or that parallel air currents may be of different 



* Phil. Trans. London,. 1847, p. 119. 



