226 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



[1890. 



Nov. 27. — Air very dry all day. Fog lay in the 

 valleys to E. and over Loch Lochy from 8 h till noon. 

 Haze gathered, thickest to W., at night, and high 

 cumulus clouds covered the sky. 



Nov. 29. — Top clear from 20 h to 23 h , but sky overcast. 

 Strong wind with considerable drift all afternoon and at 

 night. No raingauge was out after 15 u , but apparently 

 no snow fell. The tower thermometer box was put out 

 at 20 h , and duplicate readings taken all night. 



Dec. 2. — At 22 h and 23 h a drizzle of small rain was 

 falling, covering everything with ice. The temperatures 

 at these hours were 29 *9 and 27° "3. At midnight snow, 

 small and hard frozen, was falling. 



Dec. 3. — Very heavy northerly squalls all day. Fog 

 varying rapidly in thickness most of the day, but at 9 h 

 and 10 h it was mist ; the temperature at the time being 

 19°-2 and 19°'l. Thermometer box shifted at 16 h 20 m . 

 Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 4.— Thermometer box shifted at 18 h 20 m . 

 Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 5. — Top cleared shortly before 22 h , and an 

 aurora, single arch, no streamers, was visible all night. 

 At midnight cum. -fog was rising to E. Thermometer 

 box shifted at 23 h 20 m . Height above snow not 

 altered. 



Dec. 6. — The aurora remained visible till 4 h , after 

 which it was lost in the moonlight. Fog gradually 

 formed over the hills to E. and S. in early morning, and 

 by 9 h was blowing over Ben Nevis also. It continued 

 ■with scarcely any breaks all day. 



Dec. 9. — Top cleared about 16 h , leaving sky cloudless, 

 but haze and fog in the valleys and all round. The fog 

 covered the top again before 22 h . Thermometer box 

 shifted at 16 h 20 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 10.— Fog cleared off at 9 h , but came on again 

 at 18 h . Very thick haze all round and in valleys during 

 the interval, and fog occasionally passing over the top. 

 Thermometer box shifted after 9 h . Height above snow 

 not altered. 



Dec. 11. — Fog very thick most of the day, but occa- 

 sionally breaking and letting glimpses of a clear sky 

 above be seen. The fog-crystals to-day were dry and 

 beautifully feathery, and slightly brown in colour. 



Dec. 12. — Top clear from 4 h till noon, but most of 

 the time thin fog passing, and dark haze to N. and "W. 

 Detached fog lay also on the hills and in the valleys 

 round. Thermometer box shifted at 9 h 15 m . Height 

 above snow not altered. 



Dec. 13. — Top clear from 4 h to 23 h , but haze topped 

 by cumulus lay in the valleys to about 4000 feet. The 

 sun rose at 8 h 45 m . A glory was seen at 9 h . At 10 h 

 the air was clear to the E.S.E., though the haze lay 

 thickly elsewhere. 



Dec. 14. — From 13 h to 16 h drizzling rain was falling, 

 though the temperature ranged between 25° - 7 and 28°"1, 

 covering everything with ice. For the last fortnight 

 some snow buntings have been seen almost daily. 



Dec. 19. — Thermometer box shifted at 4 h 25 m . 

 Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 20. — Top cleared at 10 h , but fog continued 



blowing over till 15 h , and lay over the hills round at 

 about 3500 feet all the evening, thinning away except 

 to S.W. at 23 h . Fog blowing over again at midnight, 

 and lunar corona seen. Thermometer box shifted at 16 h 

 20 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 21.— Lunar corona seen at 18 h . Thermometer 

 box shifted at 23 h 15 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 22. — At l h sky covered with heavy strips of 

 cirrus or cirro-cum. in ark form, lying N.N.W. and 

 S.S.E. Haze and fog lay in the valleys till 5 h , but after 

 that fog covered Ben Nevis also. Drizzling rain and 

 slight hail fell at night. Temperature 27° to 29°. 



Dec. 23. — Wet mist and drizzling rain covering every- 

 thing with ice all forenoon, though the temperalure 

 never rose to the freezing point. After 20 h only thin 

 fog on the hill top, and sky hid by scud, but no fog 

 below. Thermometer box shifted at 20 h 20 m . Height 

 above snow not altered. 



Dec. 24. — Fog blowing over the hill top most of the 

 day, but sky when seen generally clear above. At 10 h 

 a glory and fog-bow were seen, and at ll h a glory. At 

 18 h a lunar corona. 



Dec. 25. — Sky apparently clear, but fog and scud 

 blowing over the hill top all day. Lunar corona seen at 

 19 h . Thermometer box shifted at 20 h 20 m . Height 

 above snow not altered. 



Dec. 26. — Lunar corona seen at l h . Thin fog blowing 

 over the hill top till 6 h , but sky clear above. Fog and 

 cumulus hanging about the hills round till noon, but 

 after that little or none till 23 h , when a cumulus bank 

 gathered to E., and fog blew over the top at midnight. 

 Hazy to W. all afternoon. The sun rose just before 9 h , 

 and set at 15 h 54 m ; it went down behind the most 

 easterly hill of Mull. Thermometer box shifted at 7 h 

 20 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 28. — At 23 h and midnight the fog had risen clear 

 of the hill top, hiding the sky but leaving a clear view 

 round. No fog below. 



Dec. 29. — No fog in valleys all morning, but thin fog 

 often blowing over the hill top, and after 15 h almost 

 continuous fog. From 10 h to 15 h a vertical ray or halo 

 downwards from sun was seen, passing into Glen Nevis 

 between observer and hills on south side of glen ; most 

 distinct at its lower end. At 15 h it was noticed that a 

 few star-shaped crystals of snow were falling. In the 

 afternoon a sound like very distant thunder was heard, 

 supposed to be artillery practising at Inverness. Air 

 very hazy all afternoon. Thermometer box shifted at 

 3 h 20 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Dec. 30. — Lunar corona seen at several hours in early 

 morning, formed on scud, and fog blowing over the hill 

 top. Sky clear above this fog and scud, when seen, all 

 day, and no fog below in the valleys. 



Dec. 31. — Thermometer box shifted at l h 15 m . 

 Height above snow not altered. Lunar corona seen at 

 5 h , 6 h , and 7 h . Fog blowing over the hill top, but sky 

 clear above and no fog in valleys till 4 h . After that 

 almost continuous fog, but sky still clear when seen. 

 Very heavy squalls from the E.S.E. all morning. 



