258 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 
CLIMATE. 
The climate of Bradford County is practically subtropical, 
winters are short and mild and the summers long and hot. Decem¬ 
ber, January, and February are the coldest months, and for this 
period the temperature averages about 56° F. The coldest weather 
is usually in February. There are sometimes traces of snow, though 
measurable quantities are practically unknown. Usually the cold 
weather comes in periods of two or three days’ duration, followed 
by as many days of clear, warm weather, which generally precedes 
rain. Owing to the high humidity, the cold is penetrating. 
July and August are the hottest months, with a mean tempera¬ 
ture of about 81 0 F., but extremely high temperature is rare, and the 
heat is moderated by breezes which are practically continuous. 
The rainfall, which is ordinarily sufficient for crop growth, is 
well distributed throughout the year. However, during seasons of 
scant rainfall crops grown upon the more sandy and better drained 
soils are likely to suffer from drought, while during seasons of ex¬ 
cessive precipitation an excess of water frequently collects on the 
lower lying and poorer drained areas and is decidedly detrimental to 
plant growth. 
The following table gives the normal monthly, seasonal, and an¬ 
nual temperature and precipitation recorded at the Weather Bureau 
station at Gainesville, Alachua County, Fla. In the absence of local 
records, these figures, compiled from data recorded at a point only 
a short distance to the southwest, are fairly representative of con¬ 
ditions in Bradford County. 
