METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 

 Lat. 44 54' 2" N. Lon. 68° 40' 11" W. Elevation 150 feet. 



The instruments used at this Station are the same as those 

 used in preceding years, and include : Wet and dry bulb ther- 

 mometers ; maximum and minimum thermometers ; thermo- 

 graph ; rain-gauge ; self-recording anemometer, vane, and barom- 

 eter. The observations at Orono now form an almost unbroken 

 record of thirty-three years. 



The winter of 1900-1 was remarkable for the early snow that 

 fell on unfrozen ground and later accumulated to an unusual 

 extent. The total fall, however, was only about five-sixths of 

 the average, and the large amount on the ground at one 

 time was due to the. lack of the usual winter thaws. The 

 absence of the frost in the ground not only assisted in the 

 rapid disappearance of the snow in the spring, but allowed the 

 water from the melting snow and ice to enter the ground instead 

 of escaping into the streams. The spring rains were excessive, 

 and had the ground been in its usual condition the damage from 

 floods, though serious in some localities, would have been much 

 greater. 



The following notes are intended to apply to this particular 

 locality. The year has been characterized by the unusual distri- 

 bution of rain and snow. The average precipitation for April at 

 this Station, as shown by thirty-three years' observation, is 2.9 

 inches, lower than that for any other month of the year. The 

 fall on April last was nearly double this amount, 5.12 inches, the 

 largest thus far recorded at Orono for this month. Reference to 

 the table on page 191 shows that these conditions were general 

 through a large part of the State. During May, June and July 

 the aggregate fall was four inches below the normal, and crops 

 in some sections suffered severely. The usual heavy rains of 

 November were lacking, and the deep snow that fell on Novem- 

 ber 14 found but little water in the ground and many low wells, 

 conditions which were relieved by the thaw and rains of Decem- 

 ber 14 and 15. The total precipitation for December, (rain and 

 melted snow) was 7.94 inches, double the usual amount. Ex- 

 treme temperatures were noted in July, the thermometer on July 

 16 rising to ioo°, dropping to 40 on the morning of July 25, a 

 range of 6o° in nine da}^s. 



