Boston Transcript
Saturday, March 4, 1893
This Winter's Cold Scientifically 
Examined.
Not a Record-Breaker After All-January's
  Continuous Cold-February Breaks Prece-
  dents.
  People grumble at my report of January
observations. They expected it to break all
previous records, while in truth the mercury
did not touch bottom, and the month stands
third from the foot in a forty year's column.
It takes a great deal of weather to overcome
a maximum.  Nature perhaps once in a gen-
eration makes a supreme effort in a specific
line and challenges you afterward to beat
that it you can.  And the way-back January
of 1857 still maintains position as the coldest
month yet experienced in the last half of the 
nineteenth century, with a mean tempera-
ture of 10.8[degrees], nearly twelve degrees lower
than the average January of the same expos-
ure.
  During this severe January the mercury
stood thirteen mornings below zero; coldest
morning 22[degrees] below zero; two mornings 18[degrees]
below. For twenty-seven consecutive days
it stood below freezing point; on twenty
days remained below 20[degrees].
  Next on our list is 1888, with a mean of 
16.13[degrees]; lowest point 11 below zero.
January, 1893, mean temperature at 7
  A.M.....................................................  12.48[degrees]
January, 1893, mean temperature at 2
  P.M.....................................................  23.12[degrees]
January, 1893, mean temperature at 9
  P.M.....................................................  15.51[degrees]
  Mean of the month...............................17.03[degrees]
Lowest temperature at 7 A. M. -6[degrees] below zero.
     "              "           "  2  P. M. -6[degrees]
     "              "           "  9  P. M. -3[degrees] below zero.
Highest        "          of the month 42[degrees]
  And so this cold January of 1893 ranged
6.23[degrees] above our coldest, but it is second in 
continuity of cold, the mercury standing be-
low freezing point for twenty-one consecu-
tive days. From 2 P.M. on the 10th to the 
18th-eight consecutive days-it stood below
sixteen; a record only equaled in 1852, and
even distancing that of 1857.
  The duration of the cold term and not its 
extreme severity is responsible for the ice
blockades. The mercury stood below zero
but four mornings, against eight in 1888 and
seven in other years. The distinguishing 
characteristic of our late January was equa-
nimity, freedom from high winds and sudden
changes. Its results were obtained with the
least expenditure of forces. No predecessor
turned out such blocks of ice at six below
zero, nor covered the earth with snow by one
and two-inch snowfalls.
Mean temperature of January since 1852..22.41[degrees]
Coldest January, 1857...............................10.8[degrees]
Warmest January, 1880.............................33.92[degrees]
  It may be noted that these figures were
marked by a high-toned hill-top thermome-
ter that scorns to sink to the depths of zero-
dom or shriek up towards the hundreds like
your low-lived valley instruments.
  February is one of the most uncertain 
months in the calendar. Those who press
the theory that Nature, however she may
vary in details, is bound to maintain an
average, would assume that upon February
is laid the burden of equalization; and if 
the previous winder months have been over 
warm or over cold she must make up the
difference. Thus, after the phenomenally
cold January of 1857, we had the warmest 
February ever recorded. And as during the
present winter December and January were
below par, they promised us a warmer Febru-
ary. But, as Emerson says, our "climate is
a series of surprises," and those who venture
to predict the character of any month or rea-
son upon such basis are usually left out in
the cold as on the present occasion. Our
willful February declined to make up the
deficiencies of its predecessors and followed
their example in staying below the average,
viz.:
  February, 1893 - 
Mean temperature at 7 A. M...............17.57[degrees]
   "                "             2 P. M...............28.82[degrees]
   "                "             9 P. M...............22.46[degrees]
                                                           
Mean temperature of the month..........22.95[degrees]
Lowest temperature at 7 A .M.....3[degrees] below zero
      "             "               2 P. M.....6[degrees]
      "             "               9 P. M.....1[degrees]
Highest temperature.................47[degrees]
Mean temperature of Feb. since 1852....25.58[degrees]
Coldest February since 1875..................19.02[degrees]
Warmest February since 1857................33.50[degrees]

Mean temperature of December, 1892....25.06[degrees]
    "                "            January,     1893....17.03[degrees]
    "                "            February,       "   ....22.95[degrees]

Mean temperature of winder mo's, 1893..21.68[degrees]
    "                "        since 1852..................24.65[degrees]
Warmest winter since 1889-90.................32.11[degrees]
Coldest       "        "      1867-68.................21.39[degrees]
  And so our past winter was the coldest but
one within the half-century, missing the
minimum by a mere fraction, and spring
opens with a balance of nearly three degrees
against her.  What prophet wise enough to
tell when and how this balance will be over-
come?
  The snowfall of the winter has been unus-
ually abundant and satisfactory. The
has not been bare since Dec. 20th,
and most of the time has been wholly cov-
ered. January gave good sleighing with
moderate snows, but after several attempted
thaws in February the storms assumed a
much more violent character. Whether the
solitary, phenomenal "sun-dog" that glinted 
out the morning of the 12th was Na-
ture's signal of the coming change is
open to conjecture. Of the twelve clos-
ing days of the month eight were
snowy. Within five days were three dis-
tinct and well-defined snow-storms. The
central storm--19th, 20th--was decidedly
blizzard-like in character, the wind swinging
round to the north at midnight with a ter-
rific roar and immediate fall of temperature.
Much snow fell the following day and trav-
elling was greatly impeded. A large body
of snow, heavily packed, still covers the
ground.
  Sunny days have been somewhat rare, 
January giving but fifteen; February, eleven.
The frequent falls of snow have kept the
landscape particularly fresh and beautiful.
And even amid the clouds and storms of the
last week, there were days upon which there
was
"No cloud above, no earth below,
A universe of sky and snow."
And the sky was never bluer nor the snow
whiter.
A.M.