DECEMBER, 1896. MONTELY WEATHEB REVIEW. 463
Nantucket ...................................................... NewTork ....................................................... Philadelphla .............................. ._.. ................ Atlantic City ..................................................
the assistance of other forces arising from the motion of the
air and the rotation of the earth) the horizontal differences
of pressure arising therefrom are the active forces, as I,
among others, have explaiued in the Austrian Z. 0. G. M., 1852, p. 91, where (in the foot-note) I have warned agaiust
the too frequent overestiniation of the influence of the warin-
ing of the air a t the base.
“We have thus come to the limit wheie the geographical
element is less important than the physical ; where cliniatol-
ogy passes over into meteorology. Of course, however, cli-
matology is in the highest degree interested in the progress of meteorology since the connection between its individual
isolated facts is in great part to be expected from it. Espe-
cially is it true that the explauation of the nature and devel-
opment of atmospheric whirls or, the regions of high and low
pressure, their changes with altitude, their origin and disap-
pearance, will be of the greatest importance for cliiiiatology
as well a8 for meteorology. Our knowledge of the movement
of whirls has made good progress, but as to their changes in
intensity we know nothing except some isolated empirical
rules and many vague assumptions. I n order to make fur-
ther advance in this matter we need, above all, a more accu-
rate insight into the distribution of temperature and pressure
in the higher strata above cyclones and anticyclones. About
five years ago Hann published the sensational discovery that
in the Alpine region in anticyclones, notwithstanding the
great cold at the surface of the soil, the mean temperature of
the column of air between this ground and the level of 3,100
meters above the sea, was higher in the centre of anticyclones
than in cyclones. A further extension of this jnvestigation
to other portions of the world promises further important
conclusions. In such work ohwrvation and study niust go together in order to further the advancement of- ecience. ”
FOG IN NEW YORK HARBOR.
Owing to the clear sky that prevails within areas of high
pressure the radiation of heat from the ground or the ocean
surface and from the lowest stratum of air, proceeds more
rapidly and, as is well known, during such periods mist and
fog are formed in the lower air. Radiation proceeds uniiiter-
ruptedly during the night time from the upper surface of
foggy air and the depth of the layer of fog steadily increases,
so that oftentimes the heat of the sun, in the middle of the day, is not sufficient to dissipate the fog formed a t night. It
has often been remarked that the lookout at, or above, the
maiu top overlooks the ocean of fog. In general, a dense fog
implies clear sky above it and by attention to the movenient
of areas of pressure it becomes possible to predict fog on our
coast.
On Tuesday, December 17, and Wednesday 15, high pres-
sure prevailed off the middle Atlantic Coast with north- east winds shifting to southwest a t New York, N. Y. During
Tuesday night and the greater part of Wednesday dense fog
prevailed in both the upper and lower bay ; the Sound steam-
ers did not attempt to come through Hell Gate ; the ocean steamers were detained below quarantine ; nothing could be
seen at Sandy Hook and all movements were guided by the
sound of the fog signals. This fog was attributed by some to
the unseasonably warm weather prevailing all along the neigh- boring coasts. The extreme temperatures were as follows :
----
0 0 0 0
88 86 88 50
26 42 24 18 I 44 34 50 .M ...... 38 ......
Locality.
These figures do not show any temperatures that are un-
usually high for this region, neither is the occurrence of fog
unusual at this Eeason ; i t is, in fact, the ordinary accompani- iiieiit of areas of high pressure in the wiuter time over the
ocean.
SNOWFALL IN NORTH DAKOTA.
With regard to the snowfall in North Dakota, Mr. B. H.
Broiison, in his November bulletin says :
The principal feature was tlie unusually early fall of snow, which became general over tlie State by the 5th instant, and was very heavy in many localities. Old settlers in this section remark that this early snow is the earliest that has occurred during their residence here, and has rendered the hauling of grain by sleds more practicable than by nagons. The snowfall proniises an abundance of moisture for the ground when the spring plowing shall commence, but at the present time it renders the pasturage ver poor, as the cattle are unable to get at the grass and low herbage. &e snowfall is greatly appreciated as
it prevents the further destruction of cro s and roperty by prairie tires. The observer at Fort Bertliold, in &Lean Eounty, reports the pasturage in that section as the poorest in many years, on account of the recent prairie fires, which have also devastated inany other sections of the State.
METEOROLOGY AND LOCAL STATE FAIRS.
The need of personal acquaintance setween the voluntary
observers and the directors of the respective State services is
alluded to in the Weather and Crops for January, 1596, by
the director of the Illinois Service, and he states his inten-
tioii to provide for such a need at an early date. On several occaeions the presence of sonie official of the Weather Bureau
at a county fair, a &ate fair, or a general exposition has
been productive of many advantages to the Weather Bureau
ohservers who attended such meetings. This was notably so
in the case of the expositions a t Atlanta and Chicago. In
general, State fairs offer an iniportant means of exhibiting,
day by day, to crowds of visitors the methods of observation pursued by the Weather Bureau and the numerous ways in
which its work can be made useful to the people. In recog-
nition of this general principle a special “ Board on Exposi-
tions” has been organized at the Central Office, and instru-
ments or publications that are appropriate for exhibition will,
i t is hoped, always he kept on hand ready for use.
POMIBLE ADVANCES IN THE WEATHER SERVICE.
We make the following extracts from an excelleiit address
by J. R. Sage? published in the current number of the Iowa
Monthly Review :
The weather has been the subject of daily observation and remark in all ages, yet the science which undertakes by rational and philo- sophical methods to account for tlie varied phenomena of the atmos- phere is comparatively new. By far the greater portion of all that has been achieved in the solution of the intricate problems relating to the weather has been wrou ht out within the latter half of the nine- teenth century. The Weatter Bureau, including the State branches, was instituted to serve the people, and to do this efficient1 it must be progressive, and the advances that are not only possde, but also most desirable, should be along educational a i d ractical lines. There is need of popularizing the science of meteoror)ogy, and more widely disseniinatin~ a knowledge of the salient facts that have been learned in this new held of investigation. * * * The special need of this
age is science made ppuler and widely difiseminated. To this end there is need of wor ers and students in this field who are in close touch with the comniuii people and who are sMe to translate the most scholarly and profound scientific writings into the Ian uage of ordi- nary people. The scientific lore of tliis age can not t e shut up in rloieters nor nioiiopolized by favored classes, but must be scattered broadcast to take root and bear fruitage in the world. I am glad to make note of the fact that the Weather Service is doing excellent work along the line of popular education.
I n practical horticulture success depends absolutely upon ada tation of plant or tree to the climate. And the Weather Service sIiou7d fur- nish the necessary data for the study of the effects of climate upon all classes of vegetation.
For the advancement of both horticulture and the Weather Service, a more close and intimate relation should be established between them.
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