On the whole the month has been a marked month with the most continued cold weather for many years; the cold has not been extreme, the minimum for the month not being as low as for the past three Januaries, but the mean temperature for the month, as will be seen from the table below, has been far lower than ever before since our observations began. In the middle and western sections of the state, as will be seen from the reports below, the temperature has been considerably higher and on the Pacific coast it was about as high as usual. The month has also been most remarkable in the amount of snow, being nearly double that of any preceding January, as seen from the table; and nearly four times the normal amount for January. The number of days of snow fall and the number of cloudy days have been correspondingly large. COMPARISON OF PAST JANUARIES. The table shows the mean temperature, the noon temperature, and the number of days below zero for the past nine Januaries in southeastern Nebraska; they are found by averaging the numbers reported at the different stations. It also shows the highest temperature and the lowest recorded anywhere in the state by standard, self-registering thermometers: The following table shows the precipitation or depth in inches of rain and melted snow or hail, the number of days on which it fell, and the number of cloudy and of clear days. Days are counted cloudy when the sky is four-fifths overcast; clear when less than one third. The last column shows the depth in inches of unmelted snow which fell during the month: The average rain for the different sections of the state for January, 1886, is as follows: N. E. Section (one station). North Middle (no station). West (one station)..... South Middle (two stations)...................... S. E. (covering essentially what has heretofore been the "whole state" as State average by sections.......... TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATIONS. Inches 0.44 0.55 0.70 2.04 0.93 Temperatures printed in italics are noon temperatures; all others Five cold waves, the first a severe one, have been experienced during the mouth; the first brought the lowest temperature of the month on the 4th; the others came on the 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th; they were all predicted in good time by the signal office at Washington and cold wave flags displayed at the central office, at Omaha, at Lincoln, and at Stromsburg. At this station the signal was hoisted from fourteen to thirty-four hours before the lowest temperature. No severe storms have occurred in the state. WEATHER. On the whole the weather has been about normal for February, except that the highest temperatures for the month have been higher than usual. The mean temperature-for the south-east section-has been slightly above the normal, and the precipitation somewhat deficient. In the western part of the state, however, and especially in the central, it has been much warmer than usual. One hail storm, a very unusual feature for February, is reported from West Hill. Thunder storms, not usually so rare, have not been reported from any station, although distant lightning was seen by observers at Crete and Weeping Water. WIND. The highest wind velocity reported was at the central station, 42 miles per hour on the 24th; the average velocity was as follows: The average N. E. Section (two stations)... rain for the different sections of the state for Febru Inches 0.58 West (one station)..... South Middle (two stations).. as reporting..... State average by sections....... 0.93 0.50 S. E. (covering essentially what has heretofore been the "whole state" as far 0.70 0.68 COMPARISON OF PAST FEBRUARIES. The table shows the mean temperature, the noon temperature, and the number of days below zero for the past nine Februaries in southeastern Nebraska; they are found by averaging the numbers reported at the different stations. It also shows the highest temperature and the lowest recorded anywhere in the state by standard, self-registering thermometers: The following table shows the precipitation or depth in inches of rain and melted snow or hail, the number of days on which it fell, and the number of cloudy and of clear days. Days are counted cloudy when the sky is four-fifths overcast; clear when less than onethird. The last column shows the depth in inches of unmelted snow which fell during the month: Wild geese were seen flying north by various observers from the 16th to the 23d and wild ducks were seen during the last week of the month. Mirage was several times reported at Marquette, and halos were seen by several observers. LOCAL REPORTS. The following are the mean temperatures, noon temperatures, and precipitations reported by various observers: |