﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OP 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  49 
  

  

  which, 
  although 
  several 
  hundred 
  feet 
  higher, 
  has 
  a 
  rainfall 
  con- 
  

   siderably 
  less 
  than 
  that 
  at 
  Kochester. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  southeastern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  the 
  ocean 
  winds 
  find 
  

   no 
  obstruction 
  along 
  the 
  coast, 
  but, 
  passing 
  inland 
  and 
  meeting 
  

   the 
  abrupt 
  ranges 
  of 
  the 
  southeastern 
  counties, 
  give 
  a 
  copious 
  

   rainfall 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  intervening 
  regions. 
  

  

  Western 
  New 
  York, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  frequent 
  southwesterly 
  

   direction 
  of 
  the 
  winds, 
  receives 
  an 
  appreciable 
  portion 
  of 
  its 
  

   vapor 
  supply 
  from 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico. 
  The 
  rainfall 
  in 
  central 
  

   New 
  York, 
  although 
  less 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  southeastern 
  and 
  south- 
  

   western 
  highlands, 
  is 
  generally 
  abundant. 
  The 
  principal 
  valleys 
  

   of 
  the 
  Susquehanna 
  system, 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  depression 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  

   lakes 
  tributary 
  to 
  Oswego 
  river, 
  show 
  a 
  deficiency 
  as 
  compared 
  

   with 
  the 
  average 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  A 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  snowfall 
  is 
  important 
  in 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  

   water 
  resources, 
  because 
  by 
  reason 
  of 
  the 
  snow 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  

   ground 
  continuously 
  for 
  several 
  months 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  source 
  of 
  loss 
  

   in 
  open 
  regions 
  subject 
  to 
  severe 
  winds, 
  the 
  evaporative 
  effect 
  of 
  

   the 
  winds 
  tending 
  to 
  carry 
  away 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  moisture 
  

   which 
  would 
  otherwise 
  be 
  available 
  to 
  maintain 
  stream 
  flow. 
  

   Thus 
  far 
  the 
  only 
  data 
  relating 
  to 
  depth 
  of 
  snow 
  are 
  those 
  derived 
  

   from 
  the 
  Keports 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Meteorological 
  Bureau. 
  The 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  are 
  a 
  few 
  figures 
  so 
  derived 
  : 
  In 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1893-94 
  the 
  total 
  

   depth 
  of 
  snow 
  at 
  Humphrey, 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  plateau, 
  was 
  136.5 
  

   inches 
  ; 
  in 
  1890-91 
  the 
  total 
  depth 
  at 
  Cooperstown, 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  

   plateau, 
  was 
  110 
  inches 
  ; 
  in 
  1891-92 
  the 
  total 
  depth 
  at 
  Constable- 
  

   ville, 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  plateau, 
  was 
  170.7 
  inches; 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  

   1890-91, 
  at 
  Utica, 
  in 
  the 
  Mohawk 
  valley, 
  the 
  total 
  depth 
  was 
  165 
  

   inches, 
  and 
  in 
  1891-92, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  place, 
  151.6 
  inches. 
  The 
  

   records 
  show 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  places 
  where 
  these 
  large 
  snowfalls 
  oc- 
  

   curred 
  the 
  ground 
  was 
  continuously 
  covered 
  with 
  snow 
  for 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  months. 
  If 
  the 
  winds 
  were 
  of 
  high 
  velocity 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  

   the 
  evaporation 
  loss 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  great. 
  1 
  

  

  Division 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  into 
  climatic 
  areas. 
  In 
  1891 
  the 
  State 
  Me- 
  

   teorological 
  Bureau 
  divided 
  the 
  State 
  into 
  ten 
  subdivisions, 
  

  

  1 
  For 
  extended 
  discussion 
  of 
  climate 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  see 
  a 
  monograph 
  by 
  

   E. 
  T. 
  Tanner, 
  in 
  8th 
  Rep't 
  New 
  York 
  Weather 
  Bureau. 
  

  

  