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Abstract of Paper on the Frost o/1895 in Scotland. By R. C. Mossman.* 



This great frost commenced on 28th December 1894 and terminated in its intense form 

 on 20th February 1895, thus lasting 54 days. The greatest cold occurred from the 6th 

 to the 20th of February. During this latter period pressure was higher in the north 

 than in the south of Scotland, and the winds were consequently easterly or north- 

 easterly, but light in force. Taking the two months, January and February, together, 

 the mean temperature was more than 10° below the average at many inland places, 

 but on the west coast it was only about 5° lower than usual. There are records of 

 temperature in the north-east of Scotland, at either Inverness, Gordon Castle or 

 Aberdeen for the last 132 years, t and in all this time there was no winter with two 

 such cold months as January and February 1895 at these places. The absolute minima 

 were also lower than any previously recorded there. They are as follows : — 



Inverness, ...... 5 o, on 7th February 1895 



Gordon Castle, ..... l° - on 17th ,, ,, 



Aberdeen, ...... 5°"7 on 7th „ „ 



Minimum readings below zero were recorded at 16 places in Scotland during these two 

 months, the greatest number of cases being 14 at Braemar, 10 at Kingussie, and 8 at 

 Drumlanrig. The lowest temperature on Ben Nevis was 1°"8 on 7th February, but 

 the absolute minimum for Scotland was— 17° at Braemar on the 11th. 



The fifteen days, from the 6th to the 20th February inclusive, were the coldest that 

 have been known since meteorological records began to be kept in Scotland. The 

 greatest intensity of the cold was confined to inland valleys. At Braemar for these 

 fifteen days the temperature was 21° "0 below the average for February there; at Kin- 

 gussie and Stobo 19°*8, and at Glenlee 19 0, 6. On the other hand it was only 7°i 

 below the mean at Kilmuir in Skye, 7° "9 at Deerness in Orkney, and 6° '8 on Ben 

 Nevis. 



During the period of lowest temperature, the wind on Ben Nevis was E.S.E., and 

 its velocity 21 to 77 miles per hour, the higher velocities occurring on the evening of 

 the 6th, with the thermometer ranging from 2° 2 to 3° '3, and the air saturated. From 

 the 14th to the 20th of February, that is during the second half of the fifteen days of 

 arctic weather, the temperature readings at Ben Nevis and Fort-William Observatories 

 are of much interest. At midnight on the 14th the summit was no less than 26°'6 

 colder than Fort- William, almost the greatest difference ever observed ; but from the 

 1 7th to the 20th, the summit was frequently warmer than Fort- William, the greatest 



* See Journal of Scottish Meteorological Society, vol. x. p. 163. 

 t See ibid, vol. ix. p. 224. 



