NOVEMBEB, 1906. MONTHLY WEATHER REmW.
FOREOABTS AND WARNINGS.
By Prof. A. J. HENRY, temporarily in charge of Forecast Dlvision.
531
Stormy weather prevailed over the north Atlantic during
the greater part of November, the periods of severe weather
being from the 4th to 9th and 18th to 25th and again on the
30th. For the greater portion of this time gales were par-
ticularly severe along the coasts of the Canadian Maritime
Provinces as well as on the British coast. The storm which
past off the Newfoundland coast on the 18th was experienced
on the 21st a t the Azores, where it raged continuously for two
days. It appears not to have reached European shores. At
the close of the month a severe storm was passing eastward
over the western Atlantic, pressure being below 29.00 inches
at St. Johns, N. F. The period November 15-35 was produc-
tive of continuous gales and stormy weather, especially over
the track of vessels between the Mediterranean and New York.
I n the first decade of the month no storm of importance
traversed the United States east of the Rocky Mountains; in
the North Pacific coast States, however, the weather was very
stormy, with almost incessant rains. The rivers and small
streams in Washington west of the Cascade Range overflowed
their banks between the 9th and 15th and caused an immense
amount of clamage. The greatest loss was sustained in the
district between Puget Sound ancl the Columbia River. I n
this region the rivers became raging torrents, overflowed their
banks, and converted the lowlands into inland seas. The total
loss as estimated by newspapers was over $3,000,000.
I n the second decade of the month a storm of more than
ordinary severity in some portions of its path crost the
United States. It reached the north Pacific coast on the
evening of the 14th; i t was attended by high southerly gales
and heavy rains in Oregon antl Washington, which continued
uninterruptedly for about twenty-four hours. Two clays after
striking the coast the storm formed an irregular &aped de-
pression extending from North Dakota southeastward to Iowa
and thence southwestward to western Arkansas. This depres-
sion was separated into two portions during the nest twelve
hours, the northern portion remaining almost stationary in
North Dakota for thirty-sir hours and then moving northeast-
ward as a storm of little strength. The southern portion of
the original depression was evidently forced to southern Texas
by a strong rise in pressure over the eastern Rocky Mountain
slope. It occupied southern Texas from the morning of the
17th until the night of the 19th and then moved northeast-
ward, developing great strength over the upper Lakes on the
night of the 21st. While this storm occupied southern Texas
i t seemed to be continually fed by secondary developments
over Arizona and New Mexico which moved southeastward
and merged in the general area of low pressure over Texas.
As the area of high pressure advanced in tlie rear of these
secondary developments extremely cold weather for the season
was experienced in New Mexico and western Teras, and suom
fell for more than twenty-four hours. The snow was attended
by strong winds and very low temperatures. Five persons are
known to have perished from exposure to the storill and the
loss of live stock, especially sheep and goats, was considerable.
The last decade of the month was characterized by high
pressure over the north Pacific coast and thence southeast-
ward into the middle Mississippi Valley, thru which several
lows that developecl in the extreme Southwest seemed unable
to pass.
BOSTON FORECAST DISTRICT.
The month, as a whole, was quite pleasant, altho there \vas
much cloudy, unsettled weather. While precipitation occurred
on an average of nine days, the monthly average, 3.58 inches,
was 1.58 inches below the normal. The first half of the month
was cooler than the average, and the latter half generally
m-armer than usual. The result was a mean temperature of
37.3', which is 0.6' below the normal. The only severe storm
during the month was that of the 15-16th. It movecl north-
ward along the coast causing general heavy precipitation, rain
in southeastern sections ancl snow elsewhere, with strong east-
erly gales of almost hurricane force on the coast and over the
ocean. All shipping was delayed from twenty-four to thirty-
six hours by the storm, several small vessels were wrecked,
and several lives lost along the coast. Ample and timely
warning was issued in advance of the storm. Storin warnings
were also issued on the 11th.-J. TK Smith, District Forecaster.
The temperature was
above normal, except in the panhandle of Texas. Precipita-
tion was excessive over western Texas and eastern Arkansas,
ancl was generally deficient elsewhere.
Snow occurred over Oklahoma, western Texas, and the
northern portion of eastern Texas a t the close of the second
decade; it was generally covered by the forecasts. Frost or
freezing tenipernture warnings were issued for portions of
the district on five dates, and frost or freezing temperature
occurred in some instances o ~e r the territory colered by the
forecast, and, in other instances, as a result of sluggish move-
ment of the disturbances, the warnings were not verified over
tlie entire area covered by them.
Cold-wave warnings were issued on the 19th for Arkansas,
northwestern Louisiana, antl portions of eastern Texas. The
warnings were verified in Texas, but, owing to the unusually
sluggish movement of a low pressure area over southern
Texas, the cold wave clicl not reach Shreleport, La., and
Arkansas points.
No severe weather conditions occurred to any great extent
1% ithout warnings.-I. N. Clint,, District Forecaatrr.
NEW ORLEANS FORECAST DISTRICT.
The month, as a whole, was mild.
LOUIhVILLE FOREC 4hT DISRIC'T.
The weather conclitions were largely controlled, up to the
loth, ancl after the 21st, by moderate high-pressure areas
which gave generally fair weather, with nioclerate teinpera-
tures. The first disturbance of the month past over the dis-
trict the 10-11th. and was attended by rain and thunderstorms,
followed closely by much loner temperature. Froin the 13th
to the 21st, inclusive, three general disturbances movecl over
the central valleys, the first two from the Rocky Mountain
section, and the last from the western Chili'. The first of these
gave rain or snow over the district,. the second heavy rains,
and the third generally excessive rains, causing floods in the
siiialler rivers, resulting in a great amount of damage. Abnor-
mally high temperatures were registered on the 8-f)th and on
tlie 30th-21st. There n ere no unusually low temperatures
and only one moderate snowstorm. No cold wave or special
warnings were required-F. J. IfTnlr, Bistrirt Forecnster.
CHICAGO FORECAST DISTRICT.
The month was uneventful in this forecast district, with the
exception of the storms which past. over the Lake region during
the latter portion of the month. The one of the 16th and 17th
approached from the southwest, but did not attain great force
until it reached the western Lake region. Duriug the clay and
night of the 16th the barometer fell rapidly a t the storm center,
ancl high winds were general over the Lakes; storin warnings
were orclerecl in advance on the 16th. Storm warnings were
ordered on the 2lst for a disturbance which approached the
Lake region from the western Gulf section, and past across
the mestern upper Lake region, turning thence eastward down
the St. Lawrence Valley. This storm mas not so severe as the
previous one, buC, justified ordering warnings a t all stations.
Still another disturbance approached the Lake region from the
southwest and hail paHt the lower Lake region by the morning
532 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
of the 27th. Warnings were hoisted at Chicago on the evening
of the 26th, and were extended over the balance of the upper
Lakes on the morning of the 26th. Verifying velocities were
reported at several stations. Warnings were again ordered
on the evening of the 29th for a disturbance of slighter energy
which approached the Lake region from the British Northwest.
There were no snowstorms of consequence in any portion
of th'e district during the month, and the temperature generally
remained moderate, but cold-wave warnings were ordered for
the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska on the 16th, in advance of
the cold weather following the first storm mentioned in the
preceding paragraph. These warnings were verified in the
northern sections, but the temperature over Kansas did not
fall quite as low as was anticipated.-Frank H. ktgeloici, Pro-
fessor of Meteorology.
DENVER FORECAST DISTRICT.
The month was colder than usual thruout the district, with
an excess of precipitation in south-central Colorado and north-
central New Mexico. In the extreme southern part of New
Mexico the excess was the greatest on record for November. A
cold wave visited the eastern slope on the 17th. No unusually
low temperatures were experienced in the northern part of the
Plains region, but south of the Arkansas-Platte divide there
was a continuous fall for several days, zero, or lower, being
reached in the extreme southeastern part of New Mexico.-
F. H. Bran denburg, District Forecaster.
SAN FRANCISCO FORECAST DISTRICT.
The month was usually dry, not more than half the normal
rainfall being reported; few storms appeared on the northern
coast or extended southward. Ordinarily November marks
the beginning of the stormy period on the north Pacific coast,
but this year the pressure distribution has been unfavorable
for the normal storm movement. On the other hand, there
has been a tendency for depressions forming over lower Cali-
fornia and northwestern Mexico to move slowly northward
over the Valley of the Colorado, with little, if any, easterly
component of motion. I n other words, there have been several
cases where the disturbances appeared to be blocked in their
eastern progress.
The month began with a disturbance on the Oregon coast
which developed into a storm of marked energy. This caused
high southeast winds and rain north of Point Conception.
The storm was quite severe on the northern coast; warnings
were displayed in ample time.
From November 5 to 14 the weather was clear and warm in
California, under the influence of a succession of slow-moving
high areas. During the latter half of the second decade
unsettled weather prevailed, due to the passage of northern
lows. During the third decade cold weather, with heavy frosts
in the mornings, was reported generally in northern Califoraia.
In southern California there was a succession of low areas,
which apparently made but little progress eastward. High
northerly winds resulted in the great Valley of California and
along the coast. On November 30 a maximum wind velocity
of 63 miles per hour from the northeast occurred at San
Francisco. This is the highest wind velocity from the north
which has ever been reported in this city.
Frosts have been unusually numerous for the month of
November, notwithstanding high winds and dry conditions.-
A. G. ilfcddie, Professor and District Forecuster.
PORTLAND, OREG., FORECAST DISTRICT,
The first half of November was very stormy, and this dis-
trict was visited by a succession of gales of unusual severity.
Timely warnings were displayed in each case. The only
casualty that occurred was the stranding just south of the
mouth of the Columbia River of the British bark Galem on
November 13. No lives were lost when this ship was wrecked,
and the cause of the disaster was not so much on account of
NOVEMBER, 1906
high winds as it was from fog and strong currents, whereby
the navigating officer lost his reckoning and got into the
breakers when he thought he was sereral miles away from
them. A similar casualty occurred on October 25 (not pre-
viously reported) to the British bark Peter Iredale, which
was wrecked on Clatsop spit during thick weather. No lives
were lost, but the vessel became a total wreck.
The rains attending the st,orins of the fore part of the month
n ere unusnally heavy, especially in Washington, and all
streams in that State 1Jetween the 9th and 15th overflowed
their hanks and flooded tlie lowlmds. The damage from
floods was enormous, and i t was se1 era1 days before traffic was
resumed over the railroads. Three or four lives were lost and
large quantities of RBW logs were swept away from their booms
and never recovered. Many bridges, both railroad and county,
myere destroyetl, and the tlamage in farming communities to
fences, stock, and buildings was very great. In Oregon the
rains were not so heavy; the rixers only became bank full,
and little damage ensued. The last half of the nlonth mas
generally fair and cooler with iuoclerate l)ut disagreealJle east
winds.- E. A. Rrals. Bisfrict Fwwistw.
RIVERS AND FLOODS.
The only great flood of the month occurred in the North
Pacific States, ant1 mainly over the watersheds of the smaller
streams where LLO river and floocl service is Inaintained. The
details regarding these floods were fully covered in the public
press, and a brief mention of them is made in another part of
this REVIEW. They were caused by the excessive rains during
the first decade of the month, accompanied by high tempera-
tures which rapidly melted the several feet of snow already
on the inountain ranges.
The rise in the Columbia River was only moderate, but in
the Willaiiietke it was more pronounced, altlio fioocl stages
were reached only in the vicinity of Portland, Oreg., where a
stage of 16 feet, or one foot above tlie flood stage, was reached
on the 18th.
There mere no other floocls of consequence except in the
Tennessee River. This flood was caused I J ~ the heavy snows
of the 14th and 15th, the high temperatures of the 15th caus-
ing the rapid iiielting of the snons, together with the heavy
rains from tlie 17th to the 19th, inclusive. At many places
along the upper Tennessee River the stages reached exceeded
all previous records for the month of Novemlwr, and con-
siderable daiiiage was done by the rising waters. The follow-
ing report on the flood over this portion of the Tennessee
wntershecl was prepared by Mr. L. RI. Pindell, official in
charge of the local oflice of the Weather Bureau a t Chat-
tanooga, Tenn. :
On November 14 and 15 heavy snows prevailed over the entire Ten-
nessee watershed from central Tennessee to Virginia. The snow varied in depth fiorn 1 t o 8 inches, and was the heaviest on record for the month
of November. The ground was frozen and cuniparatirely dry, and very
little of the snow melted on t h e 14th. On the 15th t h e temperature
llegan to rise, and the melting snow moistened the ground almost t o
t h e point of saturation. Rain began on the 17th, became heavy during
t h e same evening, and continued until the 19th. A report for t h e 19th from Murphy, N. C., on the headwaters of the Hiwansee Rirer, delayed
twenty-four hours in transmission, stated t h a t 8 inches of rain had
fallen. McGhee, Tenn., on t h e Little Tennessee Kixer, reported 4.71
inches, and Rogersville, Tenn., on t h e Holston Rlver, 3.62 inches during
the twenty-four hours ending at 8 a. m. of t h e 19th. All the precipita- tion that had fallen was finding i t s way into the river and tributaries.
A careful study of the conditions justified a forecast of 25 feet at Chat-
tanooga, Tenn., 1Jy tlie night of the 20th. A t 7 a. in. of the 19th, the Clinch River had risen over 12 feet at Speers Ferry. Va., and was within
4.5 fert of the flood btage; an 18-foot rise was reported at BIcGhee, on
t h e Little Tennessee, making the river over 2 feet above the flood stage,
and a nearly 17-foot rise at Charleston. Tenn., on the HiwasFee, or within
2 feet of the Hood stage. The rise at Clinton, Iiingstnn, Tazeaell, Knox-
ville, and Loudon, Tenn., varied from 7 to 8 feet.
Warnings of t h e sudden rise mere promptly issued and given wide
distribution, with the result t h a t large quantities of lumber and other