Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI. CLIMATE The climatic conditions prevailing in Milwaukee County are characteristic of a considerable region in eastern and southeastern Wisconsin immediately bordering Lake Michigan. The mean annual precipitation as reported by the Milwaukee station is 31.40 inches; the total rainfall for the driest year as given by the Weather Bureau is 18.69 inches, while the total for the wettest year is 50.36 inches. This rainfall is, as a rule, fairly well distributed throughout the year, and especially during the growing season when it is most needed. Frequently, however, there are years when periods of dry weather alternate with periods of unusually heavy rainfall. These may continue from one to four weeks and occasionally longer. Observations made by the weather bureau station at Madison, where the rainfall conditions are very similar, covering a period of 30 years from 1882 to 1911, show that there are on the average three 10-day periods in each growing season in which the rainfall is so light that crops on a reasonably heavy soil suffer from lack of moisture. The average date for the last killing frost in the spring in Milwaukee County is given by the records as April 27, and the average date of the first killing frost in.the fall is given as October 10. This gives a growing season for Milwaukee County of approximately 166 days. The date of the latest killing frost recorded for the spring in Milwaukee County is May 29, and the date of the earliest killing frost in the fall is given as September 25. The influence of Lake Michigan is quite marked in this county. The large body of water has the effect of delaying the opening of spring, but when warm weather finally begins it has a tendency to keep climatic conditions more uniform than...
