524 



Meteorological Observations, 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Made at Wilmington, Delaware, by Henry Gibbons, M. D. 

 Summary for March, 1832. 



Therm. 



Average at sun-rise, 34°.81 

 Average at mid-day, 49°. 42 

 Average at 11 o'clock, 



P. M. 

 Monthly average, 

 Maximum, 12th, 

 Minimum, 18th, 

 Range, 



Warmest day, 12th, 

 Coldest day, 18th, 



in. 



Barom. 

 29.87 

 29.83 



29.84 

 29.85 



38°.23 

 42°.115 



67°. 1st, 30.30 

 12°. 12th, 29.37 

 55°. .93 

 60°.55 

 18° 



Proportion of clear weather, 

 Proportion of cloudy. 

 Whole days clear. 

 Days on which snow fell, 

 Days on which rain fell, 

 Depth of snow, 

 Depth of rain. 

 Quantity of water. 

 Northerly winds prevailed, 

 Easterly, 



Southerly, (S. to W.) 



days 21 

 10 

 14 

 1 

 7 



in, 2 

 2.55 

 2.80 

 days 11 

 5 

 15 



An aurora, on the evening of the 27th, followed by easterly 

 winds. Clouds electrified twice ; a heavy thundergust on the 

 12th. Winds not very variable ; but blustering and frequently- 

 high, supporting the character of March. Two transient, in- 

 complete, easterly storms. The weather of this month was re- 

 markable for its sudden transitions from warm to cold. The 

 temperature of the thirteen first days was pleasant and uniform, 

 averaging about 53° at noon. A severe thunderstorm took place 

 on the 12th, which was not followed immediately by much de- 

 crease of temperature. But a N. W. wind set in the next day, 

 and the thermometer fell from 57'' (at 2 p. m.) to 35° (at 1 1 p. m.). 

 The next morning it stood at 20°. During this and the eight suc- 

 cessive days, the mean temperature at noon was S9^°. A change 

 still more remarkable took place on the 17th, when the mercury- 

 fell from 47°, to 17°, between the hours of 2 and lip. m., during 

 a violent snow-storm from N. West. On the morning of the 

 18th, it was at 12°, a degree of cold extremely unusual at this 

 late period. The weeping willow had put forth its leaves, and 

 the blossoms of the Lombardy and Athenian poplar were out. 

 The leaves of the one, and the blossoms of the other, were com- 

 pletely destroyed, and the buds of the vv^illow were so efiectually 

 killed, that the tree continued without any trace of vegetation 

 till after the middle of April, when it put forth a new set of buds. 

 The fruit of the peach-tree was killed by the same frost, in the 

 unexpanded bud, so that few, comparatively, of the blossoms, 

 subsequently opened. 



