6 BULLETIN 698, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGEICULTURE. 



exceeds 30 inches, in 1905, when the total precipitation was 32.3 

 inches. The mean annual precipitation m this 12-year period is 24.1 

 inches. The third and final period covers the 10 years from 1907 to 

 1916, inclusive. Here, again, the annual precipitation has been com- 

 paratively low. Only twice in these years has it exceeded 20 inches. 

 The lowest record is 11.2 inches, in 1910, and the highest 27.7 inches, 

 in 1915. The mean annual precipitation in the period is 18.7 inches. 

 Of course, these records cover far too short a period in which to 

 prove the occmrence of cycles in rainfall or other chmatic factors. 



DISTRIBUTION OF DAILY AND MONTHLY RAINFALL. 



The figures representing the total annual or seasonal precipitation 

 may easily be misleading, especially to a person who is not familiar 

 with this section of the country. This is due to the irregular distri- 

 bution of summer rainfall in time and extent, to the varying quan- 

 tities deposited by difl^erent showers, and to the manner in which it 

 falls. The nature and distribution of the rainfall will be better under- 

 stood by a study of the data in Table II, containing the records of 

 daily precipitation, with monthly totals, throughout the 10 years 

 from 1907 to 1916, inclusive. The monthly precipitation and its 

 departure from the normal are summarized in Table IV. 



Table II. — Daily and monthly precipitation at Amarillo, Tex., during the 10-year 

 period from 1907 to 1916, inclusive. 



[Data (in inches) furnished by the observer of the United States Weather Bureau at Amarillo, Tex. 



T. = trace.] 



Date. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



1907: 



1 















0.70 

 .03 



0.03 



1.42 



.14 



.19 











2 









T. 



T. 



"'6.32' 



'"6.'2i' 



0.02 

 .65 







3 





T. 









4 







0.29 

 T. 









5 

















i 





6 









0.02 

 T. 

 T. 

 .34 



.05 









1 







7 

















.05 







8 



0.85 

 T. 





















9 





T. 











.68 









10..^ 





.41 







0.01 

 .02 





11 























12 



.05 











T. 



.01 











■ 13 









T. 

 .02 











14 











T. 



T. 

 T. 

 T. 











15 





















16 



.03 

 T. 

 .05 

 .01 























17 











i.27 

 .09 









.01 

 .05 



.57 





18 









T. 









T. 

 .03 





19 







.04 

 .28 

 .48 

 .04 





.41 



.07 



1.47 



2.30 



.02 





20 







"".'63" 

 .05 



.24 

 T. 







21 











.25 







22 .. 













23 



















24 



.02 

 .03 

 .03 









T. 









.54 

 .02 







25 











T. 

 .26 

 .04 

 .04 











26 





















27 



0.24 



T. 

 0.02 















28 





....... 



.01 



.14 

 .17 

 .19 

 .03 









.02 







29 















30 



.04 











.01 

 .16 



T. 









31 











.14 



















1 ] 





Total 



1.11 



.24 



.02 



1.25 



.99 



1.97 



1.49 



6.20 



.91 1.79 1 .66 



1.46 . 



