Rules for Foretelling the Weather. Thermometers. COMPARATIVE SCALES. Reau- Centi- Fahr 75 167 Alcohol Boils. 52.8 127 Tallow Melts. 60 56 70 158 42 2 40 50 122 69 Rules for Foretelling the Weather. ADAPTED FOR USE WITH ANEROID BAROMETERS, A RISING BAROMETER. A RAPID rise indicates unsettled weather, A gradual rise indicates settled weather. A rise with dry air and cold increasing in Summer Indicates wind from the northward; and if rain has fallen, better weather may be expected. A rise with moist air and a low temperature indicates wind and rain from the northward. A rise with southerly winds indicates fine weather. A STEADY BAROMETER. With dry air and seasonable temperature indicates a continuance of very fine weather. A FALLING BAROMETER. A rapid fall indicates stormy weather. A rapid fall with westerly wind indicates stormy weather from the northward. A fall with a northerly wind indicates storm, with rain and hail in Summer, and snow in Winter. A fall with increased moisture in the air, and heat increasing, indicates wind and rain from the southward. A fall with dry air and cold increasing in Winter indicates snow. A fall after very calm and warm weather indicates rain with squally weather. The barometer rises for northerly winds, including from northwest by north to the eastward for dry, or less wet weather, for less wind, or for more than one of these changes, except on a few occasions, when rain, hail, or snow comes from the northward with strong wind. The barometer falls for southerly wind, including from southeast by south to the westward, for wet weather, for stronger wind or for more than one of these changes, except on a few occasions, when moderate wind, with rain or snow, comes from the north' ward. The above printed rules are in use by the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club of New York. SUNSET COLORS.—A gray, lowering sunset, or one where the sky is green or yellowishgreen, iudicates rain. A red sunrise, with clouds lowering later in the morning, also indicates rain. HALO (SUN DOGS). -By halo we mean the large circles, or parts of circles, about the sun or moon. A halo occurring after fine weather indicates a storm. CORONA.-By this term we mean the small colored circles frequently seen around the sun or moon. A corona growing smaller indicates rain; growing larger, fair weather. RAINBOWS.-A morning rainbow is regarded as a sign of rain; an evening rainbow of fair weather. SKY COLOR.-A deep-blue color of the sky, even when seen through clouds, indicates fair weather: a growing whiteness, an approaching storm. FOGS.--Fogs indicate settled weather. A morning fog usually breaks away before noon. VISIBILITY.-Unusual clearness of the atmosphere, unusual brightness or twinkling of the stars, indicate rain. FROST.-The first frost and last frost are usually preceded by a temperature very much above the mean, OBJECTS VISIBLE AT SEA-LEVEL IN CLEAR WEATHER. The following table shows the distance at sea-level at which objects are visible at certain elevations. ELEVATION-FEET. 70 Normal Temperature and Rainfall. Normal Temperature and Rainfall. TABLE SHOWING THE NORMAL TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY AND JULY, AND THE NORMAL Conn. San Diego.. New Haven... Tampa Florida... Atlanta 18 25.0 101 20 22.3 N. J......... 100-1447.2 N. Mex... f Kalispell.. 104-15 43.5 N. Y......... Buffalo (Keokuk Concordia Kansas Dodge Wichita. 3079 107 Ky Louisville. (New Orleans. 5381 102 La.. Shreveport. Maine (Eastport 1966 101 Texas. 7:43.2 Utah... 22 69 101-25 30.6 Va............ 146-108 -55 13 7 Wyo......... The minus (—) sign indicates temperature below zero. New York City Toledo Philadelphia.. 2064 96-34 16.9 1473 111-49 13.2 21 74 107-35 18,9 20 76 107-32 30.7 1873 106-38 22.5 29 72 104-28 8.4 40 79 102-549.2 46 79 93 860.8 46 79 103 551.0 770:107-44 17.6 6:69 107-49 15. 1 21 69 102-3540.1 32 72 99-740.8 3473 96 - 740.8 39 79110-29 15.8 28 69 97-13 14.5 22 72104 -2436.4 2370 98-26 32.9 25 70 95-1437.3 3074 100-644.6 24 70 100-2336.2 32 78 105-1738.3 29 75 104-20 36.9 26 74 102-1630.6 35 80 108-1731.7 39 66 102- 245.1 41 66 106-634.4 26 72 96-1638.6 32 76103 641.2 31 75 103-2036.4 31 68 2 -444.4 49 81104 752.1 10 72108-43 21.1 1475 110-40 16. 6 16 75 107 -36 25.4 41 78 101-10 50.7 40 81 104 950.3 38 79104-13 48.5 43 82110 624.7 34 76 105-16 22.6 44 80113-5 9.8 53 83 98! 847.1 46 82 108 643.0 51 82 108 4 26.8 29 76 102-2016.0 16 68 100-2731.6 15 67 98-35 33.8 36 77 102-743.4 40 78 102 249.5 39 64 96 1136.6 69 104-30 18.8 33 74113-1717.7 29 70 97-21 42.8 31 76 102-27 40.2 15 73 104 43 31. 2 20 70 100 -25 31.4 26.67 100-38 13.6 17 68 100-54 13,9 CITY OR PLACE, Greatest Altitude in Each State and Territory. CITY OR PLACE, 71 Mean Annual Annual Average Temper-Rainfall ature. Inches. Mean Annual • In Southwestern Assam. It is the wettest place in the world. In 1861 the rainfall there reached 905 inches. NOTE-The mean annual temperature of the globe is 500 Fahr. The average rainfall is 36 inches. Greatest Altitude in Each State and Territory. FROM THE RECORDS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. The lowest point of dry land in United States is in Death Valley, Cal., 276 feet below sea level. NOTE.-The above table was prepared for THE WORLD ALMANAC by the Topographic branch of the United States Geological Survey. It should be stated in connection with this table that it presents only points whose heights are matters of record, and that in several eases in the high mountain region of the far West and the Pacific Slope it is thought there may be higher points within the State or Territory whose heights are not yet known with accuracy, and consequently cannot be given. This table was revised by the United States Geological Survey to October 1, 1913. 72 The Ancient and Modern Year. Weather Flags OF THE WEATHER BUREAU, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. THE Weather Bureau furnishes, when practicable, for the benefit of all Interests dependent upon weather conditions, the "Forecasts' which are prepared daily at the Central Office in Washington, D. C., and certain designated stations. These forecasts are telegraphed to stations of the Weather Bureau, railway officials, postmasters, and many others, to be communicated to the public by telegraph, telephone and mail or by means of flags or steam whistles. The flags adopted for this purpose are five in number, and of the forms and colors indicated below: When number 4 is placed above number 1, 2 or 3, it indicates warmer; when below, colder; when not displayed, the temperature is expected to remain about stationary. During the late Spring and early Fall the cold-wave flag is also used to indicate anticipated frosts. WHISTLE SIGNALS. A warning blast of from fifteen to twenty seconds' duration is sounded to attract attention. After this warning the longer blasts (of from four to six seconds duration) refer to weather, and shorter blasts (of from one to three seconds duration) refer to temperature; those for weather are sounded first. By repeating each combination a few times, with intervals of ten seconds, liability to error in reading the signals may be avoided. As far as practicable the forecast messages are telegraphed at the expense of the Weather Bureau; but if this is impracticable, they are furnished at the regular commercial rates and sent "collect." In no case are the forecasts sent to a second address in any place, except at the expense of the applicant. Persons desiring to display the flags or sound the whistle signals for the benefit of the public should communicate with the Weather Bureau officials in charge of the central stations of their respective States, which are as follows: The Ancient and Modern Year. THE Athenians began the year in June, the Macedonians in September, the Romans #rst in March and afterward in January, the Persians on August 11. the ancient Mexicans on February 23, the Mohammedans in July. The Chinese year, which begins early in February, is similar to the Mohammedan in having 12 months of 29 and 30 days alternately; but in every nineteen years there are seven years which have 13 months. This is not quite correct, and the Chinese have therefore formed a cycle of 60 years, in which period 22 intercalary months occur. Loss by Lightning in the United States. Small Craft, Storm and Hurricane Warnings OF THE WEATHER BUREAU, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. All square flags shown here are red with black centre when displayed as warnings. Small craft, Storm. 73 Hurricane. Small Craft Warning-A red pennant indicates that moderately strong winds are expected. Storm Warning-A red flag with a black centre indicates that a storm of marked violence is expected. The pennants displayed with the flags indicate the direction of the wind; white, westerly; red, easterly. The pennant above the flag indicates that the wind is expected to blow from the northerly quadrants; below, from the southerly quadrants. By night a red light indicates easterly winds, and a white light below a red light westerly winds. Hurricane Warning-Two red flags with black centres, displayed one above the other, indicate the expected approach of a tropical hurricane. and also one of those extremely severe and dangerous etorms which occasionally move across the Lakes and Northern Atlantic coast. Neither small craft nor hurricane warnings are displayed at night. Velocity of Winds in the United States. AVERAGE hourly velocity of the wind at selected stations of the United States Weather Bureau, also the highest velocity ever reported for a period of five minutes. (Prepared by Chief of the U. S. Weather Bureau, and revised to January 1, 1913, for THE WORLD ALMANAC.) Anemometer blew away,at a velocity of 84 miles per hour, September,1900. Stations discontinued. STANDARD TABLE SHOWING VELOCITY AND FORCE OF WINDS. 54 75 66 Philadelphia, Pa.. Portland, Me. Rochester, N. Y St. Louis, Mo... St. Paul Minn.. St. Vincent. Minn.t. Salt Lake City, Utah San Francisco, Cal... Mi. MI. 10 75 6 69 60 95696749857 66 8 60 Loss by Lightning in the United States. THE Weather Bureau of the United States Department of Agriculture in October, 1900, Issned a bulletin giving these facts: In 1899 the total number of strokes of lightning which caused damage was 5,527; number of buildings injured, 6.256; value of property lost, $3,016.520: number of deaths by lightning during the year, 563; number of persons injured, 820: number of live stock killed in the fields, 4.251: value, $129,955. These are the latest available statistics, The Chronicle Fire Tables record 3,012 fires caused by lightning in the United States in 1902, the property loss occasioned thereby being $3,396,810. These are the latest reported statistics on the subject. |