MR. A. W. PRESTONS METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. 
373 
February. 
The winterly weather which set in during the last week of 
January continued until the closing days of February, during which 
time there were sharp frosts and frequent snowfalls, and on the 
12th the snow was nearly a foot deep on the level. The mean 
temperature of the month (34.0 degrees) was about live degrees 
below the average, and the month presented more winterly traits 
than any February since 1895, which was one of the most rigorous 
on record. 
March. 
This month was an unkindly one throughout, and although 
March is proverbially a month of “ many weathers,” seldom has 
a more generally unpleasant one been experienced than that of 1901. 
The second half of the month was decidedly colder and more 
ungenial than the first half, but an exceptional amount of cloud 
prevailed throughout, and there were but three days which could 
be called bright. Thunder occurred on the 1st, and a thunderstorm, 
accompanied by snow, on the afternoon of the 28th. Gales were 
experienced on the 5th and 6th from the South-west, veering to 
North-west, but the worst winds of the month were on the 19th, 
20th, and 21st, accompanied by snow and rain, and were the 
roughest and most penetrating which had been experienced for 
a long time past. Snow fell on six days, and on the 27th was 
from three to four inches deep on the level. 
April. 
April gave us two distinct types of weather, bad and good, the 
bad extending from the 1st to the 16th, with rain almost daily, 
and frequent thunder; the last half of the month was dry, and 
partly very warm, accompanied by a most unusual amount of bright 
sunshine, reminding us of the brilliant April dav-s of 1893. 
Vegetation was very backward down to the middle of the month, 
and later than for many years past. The sunshine of the last 
fortnight forced on vegetation with remarkable rapidity, and much 
progress was made in growth generally. At the close of the month 
the fruit trees were getting well into bloom, and the country wore 
a spring-like look of great beauty. 
VOL. VI I. 
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