12 
REPOUT OF THE 
The Meteorological Eeport for 1873, presented a review of 
the temperature of York, as observed by Messrs. Grray, Phillips, 
and others, from the early years of the present century; refer¬ 
ring to that for general information, the Eeport for 1874 will 
chiefly conflne itself to the peculiarities of the year just elapsed. 
By a natmal law (on the authority of Professor Phillips) 
January 20th is the coldest day of the year. Eeferring to 
Whitaker’s Almanac, it appears that the lowest temperatime, on 
a registry of 50 years, occurs between January 4th and 16th, at 
SG'" for each day. In 1838, (by what probably was but a lucky 
guess), Murphy predicted January 20th as the coldest day. 
The Thermometer on that day at York indicated 2° Fah. The 
Almanac passed through 48 editions. The early part of May 
was very cold ; the temperature at York, Grreenwich, and Kew 
respectively, was 6”, 7°, and 6° below a mean of 50 years. 
There were several days of high temperature in July—the 3rd, 
10th, 11th and 20th registered 80'^, 8P and 84° at York. Much 
damage was done by lightning in various parts of the country. 
November was entirely anomalous in regard to temperature. 
The mean of that month for 40 years . 41°. 65 
The mean for 1874 . 40°.90 
The 1st decade of the month .... 48°. 10 
or nearly 8° above a mean. 
The 2nd decade .41°.4 
nearly the exact mean of 40 years, and exactly counterbalancing 
the excess of the first decade. The whole minima of the third 
decade were at or below the freezing point. 
December was exceptionally cold. The mean of that month 
for forty years was 38°.7; for 1874 only 30°.5. The minimum 
temperature for 27 days was at or below 32°. The lowest 
registered was 5° on the 30th, the highest of that day was 
26°, making the mean 15°. 5, or 23° below the mean of 40 
years. 
The winter of 1860-61 was the nearest parallel of late years. 
January, April, July, and August were above a mean, the 
remaining months at or below; December was 9° below a 
mean of 40 years. The result on the whole year was 1° below 
that mean. 
