FEBRUARY, 19 1 1. hlONTIILY WEATHER REVIEW.
WEATHER, FORECASTS, AND WARNINGS, FEBRUARY, 1911.
By EDWARD H. BOWIE, in Charge, Forecast Division.
303
I n the Icelandic area the barometric ressure was much
normal thereafter. The principal depressions occurred on the loth, 13th, 324 and 28th, and on the last two dates the barometric readings were below 29 inc.hes. The pressure over the middle latitudes of the north Atlantic Ocean, as shown by the c h i $ reports from tlie Azores and Bermuda, fluctuated matenally and was above the normal durin
pressure persisted over much of Europe until the 17th, when pronounced areas of low barometer attended by stormy weather prevailed over wide areas. Westerly gales on the 17th caused the loss of a number of vessels and lives along the German coasts, and on the 34th to 87th strong gales swept the North Sea. Over Siberia the pressure averaged slightly above the normal for the month, antl there were few well-defined barometric minima, although tlie pressure was consider- ably below the normal after the 21st.
In Alaska the barometric. variations were large, but readinss were generally below the normal escept on tlie
lst, 3ZtO 5th, and after the 2Oth, except at Noiue where low pressure continued until the close of the month. The
principal disturbance of the month over Alaska prevailed on the 33d to 35th. In the United States the month opened with a well- defined barometric depression over the middle Missouri Valley. This disturbance m017.ecl rapidly eastward antl on the ad was over Lake Ontario and on the 3d over the Canadian maritime provinces. During its eastward movement this depression caused high wmds and heavy snows in the border States from North Dakota to New England, and was followed by a pronounced change to lower temperature on the 1st .and 3cl over tlie northern plains States, the upper Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, and the re 'on of the Great Lakes. On the 1st and 3d
unusua T ly high temperature prevailed in the Southern States, and on the former date in the middle Mississippi Valley at a number of points the revious records of
were bro R en. Cold-wave warning were ordered on tlie 1st for the Chicago forecast district and Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, and on tlie evening of that clate storm warnings were displayed on the Atlantic coast from Sandy Hook to Eastport; and on the Pacific coast from Eureka to San Francisco, in connection with a disturbance that moved from the north Pacific coast on the 1st to Idaho on the 3d. On the 3d this disturbance was over Kansas and on the morning of the 4th over the lower lake region, whence it moved in 34 hours to the north Atlantic coast. During the night of the 3d and 4th this disturbance caused general recipitation east of the Mississippi Liver, which was in t K e forni of rain and snow in the regon of the Great Lakes and in theMiddle Atlantic, and New England States. An unusual number of thunderstornis occurred tlie night of the 3d in the Ohio Valley, the east Gulf, and in the Atlantic States as far north as southern New En Storm warnings were ordered for the east coast o New
England at 9.30 a. m. of the 4th, and high shifting winds followed during the afternoon. Another well-defined storm area made its appearance the night of the 3d on the California coast and on the mornin of the 4th its center
above normal from the 1st to the 8th an t; near or below the
the reater part of the month; tlie lowest ressurerecorcle f in t i e 7 Azores was on the 3d to 7th. kigh barometric
high tern erature for tlie nionth of Fe \ r u a q (1871-1910)
f1 -
waa over Nevada. Heavy rains B ell in California and
rains and snows occurred in Nevada, Utah, wastern Colo- rado, and northern Arizona. The following weakly forecast was issued Pebruary 5,
1911:
The coming week will be marked by a wries of well-defined E~OITTI
areas passing eastward acroas the United States from the Pacific Ocean in consequence of which eriods of fair and foul weather will follow in quick succession. * * Marked variations in tempratme will occur in practically all districts east of the Rocky Mountains.
On the morning of the 5hh the center of the disturbance that appeared on the California coast on the 3d was over Kansas and on the afternoon of this date heav snows set in over t,he u per Mississip i and Missouri +alleys and
eastward over the reat Lakes. On t.he morning of the 5th warnings of high winds and snows were sent to the upper lake region and advisory warnings of hi h winds and snow were issued for Lake Michigan. On 3l e after- noon of the 5th, a warning of snow and robabl sleet was issued for. Indiana, Ohio, and western $7 ennsy vaniir. The disturbance moved directly eastward, being central over Illinois on the 6th and the lower lake re ion on the
east of the Mississip i River on the 6th and 7th, warnings of which were issue P well in advance of their occurrence. On tlie 6th, northeast warnings were displayed on the Atlantic. coast from Delaware Breakwater to East ort and on the 7th warnings were continued from Bock P Island to East ort. On the night of the 6th the winds
antl increased to the force of a gale, with snow, and con- tinued until the ni ht of the 7th. On the 8th this dis- turbance had passe( 7 to the Grand Banks with diminished intensity. A niinor disturbance crossed the northern Rockyaountain Range the night of the 6th and moved in a sout,herly direction to the west Gulf States, whence a secondary disturbance moved to the upper Ohio Valley on the Sth. General rains fell on the 8th in the Ohio Valley, Tennessee, and t,he east Gulf States, and durin
was heavy in 'TPennessee and tlie northern portions of the east Gulf States. On the 9th the center of this disturb- ance was over t,he South Atlantic States and there were rains and snows on this tlate throughout the Atlantic States. Following this disturbance the pressure increased decidedly and on the loth the temperature was below freezing a.s far south as Tennessee and near freezing in tlie extreme northern portions of Mississippi Alabama, and Georgia. On the 9th.the pressure fell rapidly over southern Alaska, and on the 10th a disturbance was shown by the weather map off the coast of Washington. On the morn- ing of t,he latter tlate storni warnings were displayed on t.he Washingt.on and Oregon coasts and later in the day
they were ordered for the California coast. High winds were recorded in tlie area covered by the warnings the afternoon and night of the loth, the highest ve1ocit.y reported being 60 miles an hour at North Head. This disturbance c.overed the lateau re ion on the 11th and
the western part of the Gulf of Mexico, which caused general rains in the Gulf and southern plains States, and snow and sleet in Tennessee, and the lower Ohio and middle Mississippi Valleys.. At 9.30 a. m., southeast
during the folgwixnight t. R e area of heavy snow spread
7th. It caused heavy snows over the Nort % ern States
on the north 1 tlantic coast became northeast and east
the day overs read the Atlantic States. The rainfa fi
on the same date B secon 1 ary distur 5 ance developed over
304 MONTHLY WJZATHER REVIEW. FEBBUAEY, 1911
storm warnings were dis Iayed on fhe Mississippi, Ale bama, and northwest 8onda coasts. This secondary depression moved directly eastward and passed off the south Atlantic coast during the 1%h, being attended by eneral precipitation throughout the Southern States. !he pressure remained abnormally low during the 10th l l t h , and 12th over the Northwestern States, the norti Pacific Ocean, and Alaska, and on the morning of the 12th a disturbance of consiclerable intensity was off the north Pacific coast. Ytorni warnings were displayed from San Francisco northward on the lath and were continued on the 13th. The following weekly forecast was issued February 12, 1911:
The barometric pressure distribution over the Nort,h American Cantinent and the adjacent oceans is such aa to indicate. that tempera- tures will average considerably above the normal in the region east of the Rocky Mountains during the greeter part of the coming week: west of the Rocky Mountains, temperatures will aver e near or below the normal. The rincipal disturbance of the week 31 prevail during the next seveml &ys west of t,he Rock Mountains, cross the Middle West Wednesday or Thursday and the kstern States the latter part of the week. This disturbance will be att.ended by general precipitat,ion and be followed b a change to colder weather in northern and central States east of the L k y Mountains.
On the morning of tlie 13th a disturbance began to develop over the southern plains States, bein uickly followed by a general increase in cloudiness in tie%iddle West and rains set in over tlie.Mississip i Valley and the
was over Iowa and the area of preci i t d o n had over-
s read practically all districts from %e Mississippi and &souii Valleys eastward, there being snows i n the northern States from the lake region eastward and thun- derstoims in the u per Mississi pi Valley. Storni warn-
and on the 14th northeast warnings were ordered for the southern coasts of New England and advisory warnings were issued to the open ports on Lake Michigan. Low tem eratures overspread the Pacific coast on the night of $e 13th and snow fell in northern California? where temperatures were as low as the freezing point. Frost warnings were issued for all of California tlie night of the 14th and on the 15th and 16th, on which dates and also on the 17th abnormally cool weather prevailed a t all California stations. The barometric pressure increased decidedly over the St. Lawrence Valley on tlie 15th and 16th and abnormally low temperatures were recorded in New England on those clates. On the 16th the pressure began to fall rapidly over the upper Mississippi Valley where there were rains and tliunderstorms, and on t'lie morning of the 17th a low appeared over th5 Great Lakes which moved rapidly eastward, attended by rains and snows in Northern btates, ani1 passed to the Canadian maritime Provinces on the IS th. The pressure remained low during the 16th, 17th, and 18th in the Southern and Western States, causing general rains in those regions and rains and snows in the middle plains States, tlie Missis- sippi ancl Ohio Valleys and t8he middle Rocky Mountain reFion. The precipitation that occurred in connection mth this disturbance afforded niucli-needed relief from the long-continued drought in the southern plains States and western Texas. The following weekly forecast vias issued February 19,
1911:
plains States. On the 14th tlie center o P this disturbance
ings were divplaye x on the 13t E on the west Gulf coast,
The coming week will be one of low temperatures in pract,ically all districts east of the Rocky Mountains and generally fair weather pre- ceded, however, by mows in Northern and C:ent.ral and rains in South- ern States east of the Mississinni River Mondav and Mondav night.
Northwest will advance eastward and southward and cause frosts and freezing t,empemtures Monday and Tuesday in the Gulf G t a t e ~ and Tuesday and Wednesday in the South Atlantic States except southern Florida.
On tlie 19th the center of a disturbance was over the lower Mississippi Valley and the precipitation attending it was wides lead; there being a continuation of heavy rains in the & uthwestern States ancl snows in the south- em Rocky Mountain region, the middle plains States, and the midille Mississuppi Valley. On the mornin of the 19th warnin of heavy snow were issued for his- souri, Illinois, Et~iana, 01~0, western ~ennsy~vania, West Virginia, ancl northern Kentucky, and storm warn- ings were displayed on the middle and west Gulf coasts. This disturbance moved ra idly northeastward ancl reached the mitltlle Atlantic E ttites tlie morning of the 20th and passed to tlie Canadian maritime Provinces in tlie nest 24 hours. Storm warnings were ordered for the Atlantic. coast from Delaware Breakwater to Boston
on the 19th. The barometric. pressure continued to in- crease in tlie Nort.liwest froni the lSth to 31st, and on the latter date tlie highest reading, 31.10 inches at Miles City, Mont., U.IRS recorded. Tlils high carried colder weather with freezing temperature and frosts to the Gulf ant1 south Atlantic States. Am le warnin s were
temperature and frosts. Tie importance of such warn- ings was macle most urgent because of the advanced state of vegetation throughout the Southern States due to an unusunlly long period of high teniperatures in these States. At tlie time that the cold wave with freezing temperatures overspread the Southern States fruit trees were in bloom RS far north as Arkansas and Tennessee. 'Illere was consiclerable dam ue because of tlie freeze,
nuniber of tlie Review. The following weekly forecast was issued February 26,
1911 :
Low t,enipenitures will prevail over much of the country during the roniinp week, an a result of abnormally high hrometric pressure over Almkaand thr British Northwest. The prinripl disturbance to cross
t.he rount.ry during the roniing week is now over t.he western lateau rpcion; it will muss the Middk M'e~t Monday night. and Tues&y and reich the Atlantic States Tuesday or Wednesrla it will be attended by R110W8 in northern, rains and snows in niidd6; and rains in south- ern St,at.es frnni the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast during the tint half of the week.
A disturbance of moderate intensity developed in the Northwest on the 24th; on the 25th it was central over tlie Missouri Valley, on the 26th over tlie Great Lakes, and on tlie 27th over the lower St. Lawrence Valley. This disturbance was preceded by a general rise in tem Ierature ancl attended by local rains and snows in the \lississi pi Vallev and over the Great Lakes, and by rains over t e Ohio Valley and at scattered oints in the Gulf States. The pressure increased deci edly in the Northwestern States on the '35th and 26th and colder weather overspread this region on these dates, ani1 by the 37th the area of falling temperature advanced eastward to tlie Atlantic States and southwnrcl to the northern portions of the Gulf States. Cold-wave warnings were issued the morning of the 26th for tlie extreme upper Mississippi Valley and .northeiii Michigan and on the 27th for northern New England and extreme northern Kew Tork. On the 26th and 28th the southern Rocky Mountain Plateau was under the influence of low baro- metric twessure and snows were mneral over the south-
issued to all interests like1 to be a d? ected by P reezing
tletailetl reports of which will B e found elsewhere in this
1p K
FEBRUARY, 1911.
Depar- ture from the
normal.
MOXTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
Districts. Averwe.
305
73 74 77
73 :i
Amrage relat,iia humidity a i d departzires from the normal.
Dlstrlcts.
fornia on the 37th. On the 28th the area of snows spread from the Rocky Mountains eastward over the southern plains States to the Ohio Valley ant1 Tennessee.
drqerage temperatures and departures from the nowial.
Average.
I Districts. Average.
I
-. -__
Missourl Valley ...... Northern slope.. .... Mlddleslo e southern s?o,:::::: Southern Plateau .... Mlddle Plateau ...... Northern Plateau.. . North Paciflc ........ Mlddle Parlfir ....... South Paclfic ________
Depar- tUre from the normal.
-
South Atlantlc. ..... Florlda Peninsula.. . East om ........... West Gulf.. ......... Oglo Valley and lennessee ......... Lower Lakes.. ...... Upper Lakes ........ North Dakota .......
4.9
3.6 6.2 6. 1
6.5 7.3 6.9 3.9
-
BlockIsland, R. I.... Do. .............. Do. .............. Buffalo. N. P.. ...... Do. .............. Do. .............. Burllngton Vt ....... Detroit, N h . ........ Duluth, Minn.. ...... Do. .............. Eastport Me ......... Memphli Te nn...... Mount T&nalpais,Cal. Do. .............. no. .............. Do. .............. Do. .............. Nount Weather, Va.. Do. .............. Do. .............. i. Do ............... Do. .............. Do. .............. Do. .............. Nantucket Mass. .... North Heah, Wash.. .
West Gulf ........................ Ohio Valley and Tennessee.. ..... Lower Lakes ...................... Upper Lakes.. .................... North Dakota* .................... ZT per Mlssissippi Valley ..........
Northern slope.. .................. Middle slop". ..................... Pouthems ope*. .................. Southern Plateau*. ............... Middle Plateau*. ................. Northern Plateau* ................ North Paciflc ...................... Middle Paclflc.. .................. South Paciflc .....................
d ssourl Valley.. .................
10 13 io 12 9 15 12
Do. ............... Do. .............. Do. .............. Do. .............. Do. .............. Do. .............. Do.. ............. SIOUX Clty. Iowa. .... Southeast Farallon, Cal. ................ Do. .............. Do. .............. Do. .............. S racuse. N. P ....... atooah Island, Wah. Do. Do. ..............
T.' ..............
- 2 /I ~issouri\Talley ...... 0 Northem slope.. .... + 1 Mlddleslope .........
+1 +3 0 -5
+ 19 +7 -5 -3 -1
+2
Averam lempera tures lor the current month.
Depar- turn for the current month.
76 74 67 63 63 71 70
Numhei Of
stations.
--
12 15 10 8 11 10 13 10 12 9 14 12 9 6 8 11 10 10 7 5 4
Dlstrlcts. ......
I . + 111 Southernslope 0 Southern Plateau.. - 1 Middle Plateau.. .... ...........
i
West Gulf Ohlo Valley and Tennessee.. ....... Lower Lakes ........I Upper Lakes.. ...... North Dakota..
............
aryl. I ary 1. ..
.......
New England.. ................... Mlddle Atlantic.. ................. South Atlantlc .................... Florida Peninsula*. ...............
23.2
34.4 51.5 65.0 56.9
55.ti 41.5 28.8 24.6
6.1 31. 1 29.6 19.3 34.7 46.3 41.7 2s. 2
27. 6
39.2 46.5 50.2
..
-2.5 -1.7
+3.7 +3.4 +6. 0
+6.4 +5.3 +?. 4
+5.6 +O. 3 +6.5 +5.2
+2.4 +4.1 -2.2 -1.0 -3.0 -1.5 -3.2 -3.2
-0 0 -. -
....... __
+O. 4 +1.6 +4.2
+3. s +ti.?, +7.2 +5.6 +P 8
+3.7 -3.4 +4. s
+5. 3 0.0
+5. 1 +6.0 +l. 4 +2.2 -1.0 -1.0 -2.3 0.0
0 1
+ 0.8
+ 3.1
+ 8.3
+ 7.5 +12.3 +14.5 +11.2
+r 7 1
+ 7.4
- 6.8
+ 9.7 +lo. 6 - 0.4 +10.2 ,
+11.9
+ 2.9
+ 4.5
- 2.1
- 3.1
- 2.6
0.0
+lo It I
East Gull ......................... West Gulf ......................... Ohio Valley and TeMessee.. ...... Lower Lakes.. .................... Upper Lakes.. .................... North Dakota*. ................... U per Yississlppl Valley.. ........ ap lswurl Velley.. ................. Northern slope.. .................. Middleslo e ...................... southern $ope*. .................. Southern Plateau* ................ Middle Plateau*. ................. Northern Plateau*.. .............. North Paclfle ..................... Middle Paciec ..................... South Pacific ......................
dwruge cloudiness and departures froni. the nornial.
.. - ._ ......... - .. _- ...... I
I
Dew- 11 ture Depar- ture from . the normal.
-0.3
+l. 4
+o. 9 +O. 3
-1.1 -1.0 0.0
-a 7
+a 4
-a 1
Districts. Average.
I
normal.
'I -
4.9 4.4 4.8 6.3 4.5 5.4 ti. 1 6.0 4.6 4.3
+0.9 i l +o. 8
-0.7
+o. 0
+0.5 I
+0.3 ,
.to. 5 +O. 6 -1.1 I
....
* Regular Weather Bureau and selected woperatlve statlons.
dwwage precipitation and depnrtures from the nornml.
Departure. Average.
.......... -. .. _-_
Number
I
Ammu- lated since
ary 1. J ~u -
Dlstrlcts. -
Tela ity.
64 84 Bo 55 50
00 51 66 54 70 52 83
83 59 50 51
54
50
53
63 66
60
Bo 62
-
-
Stations. I D a ~ DLreo- tlm.
-
BB.
sw.
UW.
S.
S.
S.
S.
UW.
UW.
se.
nw.
nw.
nw. nw.
nw.
nw. nw.
a
sw.
sw.
UW.
s.
8.
se.
-
relot-' ~i r e o ity. I tion. Stations. lDat4 Current month.
--I-
__
85 63 29
6
53 86 75 108 124 204 140 2M 87 313 ?88 1 4
4 7 ?7 2
23 24
17 ri 21
4
3 10 12 24 25 26 2 10 m 21 23 34
29
7 4
'2)
--
North Head, Wash.. . Do. .............. Do. ..............
10 12 13 24 25 19 1 10 12 13 23 24
25 ?ti
26 1
10 13 24 2s 3 4 13 13
-
Inchi.% 2.79 2.02 1.18 0.17
2.53 3.54 2. Q 2.63 2.07 0. I 2.45 2.71
2.35 2.92
1.35 1.61
0. s8 2.59 2.77 3.46
n. txi
53 I 4e
52 I k.' 50 nw. 56 ' sw.
52 , sw. S4 50 55 56 50 50 50 52
re 66 50 64
54
ai
f4 I sw.
Inches. -0.5 -1.2 -2.9
-3.9
-0.4
-0.9
+O. 2
+O. 4 +O. 5 +O. +1., -0.1 +l. li
+1.9
+o. 4
-0 .> d.
I n d m -1.5 -1.3
-5.3 -4.8 -4.0 -2.9 -1. I J
0.0 -0.2
+I . 1
+O. 4 +LO +1.2
+o. 9 +1.2
-0. 9
-3.3 +4.9 +5.4
+n. 9
+n. 3
New England.. ................... I 11
Mlddle Atlantic.. ................. 15 South Atlantic .................... Florida Peninsula*. ...............
Do. .............. no. .............. Penswola, Ha.. ...... Polnt Reyes Llght,Cal.
-1 Do. ............. .!
- Do. .............. -1 no. .............. Penswola, Ha.. ...... Poln.Reyes Llght,Cal. S.
W.
W.
e.
se. nw.
nw. nw. nw. nw.
nw.
nw.
nw. e. se.
sw. sw.
W.
W.
W.
_-
u o . ............. .!
._
9 6 8 11 11 10 7 7 4
54 50 50 52 52 55
-
-. .......
*Regular Weather Bureau and seleeted cooperative statfons.