416 mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
frost and a slight fall of snow. On the whole, the month was about 
2 degrees under the average temperature, and about 4 degrees colder 
than the previous December, though 5 degrees warmer than the 
same month in 1890. The rainfall was deficient, only about half 
the usual quantity falling, and no moisture whatever was deposited 
in the gauge between the 16th and 30th, constituting the longest 
interval without rain since the early part of April. Owing to the 
severity of the frost, and the absence of snow, the broads and 
Hooded marshes became frozen over with unusually good ice, and 
during the last week better skating was obtained than for some 
time past. 
The Seasons. 
The following tables show the mean temperature and rainfall for 
the four seasons, together with those of the five previous years, and 
of a twenty-year approximate average : — 
TEMPERATURE. 
Seasons. 
2887. 
1888. 
1889. 
1890. 
1891. 
1892. 
20-year 
average. 
Departure 
of 1892 from 
average. 
Winter (Dec. to Feb.)... 
Spring (Mar. to May) ... 
Summer ( J une to Aug. ) 
Autumn (Sept, to Nov.) 
degrees. 
35.8 
43.3 
61.4 
46.9 
degrees. 
35.5 
43.5 
57.7 
49.3 
degrees. 
37.4 
46.5 
59.9 
49.2 
degrees. 
38.9 
46.8 
58.6 
50.2 
degrees. 
33.9 
44.0 
58.9 
50.9 
degrees. 
37.0 
44.9 
58.3 
48.8 
degrees. 
37.7 
46.1 
60.3 
49.5 
degrees. 
— 0.7 
— 1.2 
— 2.0 
— 0.7 
Year 
47.0 
46.9 
48.0 
48.0 
47.7 
46.9 
48.4 
— 1.5 
RAINFALL. 
Seasons. 
1887. 
1888. 
1889. 
1890. 
1891. 
1892. 
20-year 
average. 
Departure 
of 1892 from 
average. 
Winter 
Spring 
Summer 
Autumn 
in. 
5.83 
5.14 
4.04 
7.68 
in. 
4.42 
5.83 
8.52 
7.00 
in. 
4.14 
7.09 
9.57 
8.94 
in. 
4.80 
5.14 
9.61 
6.87 
in. 
3.10 
6.64 
9.39 
7.00 
in. 
6.36 
5.10 
10.20 
11.15 
in. 
6.45 
5.15 
7.10 
8.50 
in. 
— 0.09 
— 0.05 
+ 3.10 
+ 2.65 
Year 
20.52 
25.65 
29.82 
25.96 
28.35 
31.05 
27.20 
+ 3.85 
It will be seen from the above that the winter was below the 
average in temperature, though more than 3 degrees warmer than 
the previous winter. The spring was nearly as cold as the ungenial 
one of 1891. The summer was the coldest but one. of the series 
