LOW TEMPERATURES AT SHATTUCK OBSERVATORY

That Hanover should escape a share in what has proved to be a winter of unusual severity is, of course, not to be expected. Because of the continuously low temperatures, seldom rising to +32F, snow at times to the depth of more than two feet has covered the ground since late November. Though the temperatures at the Observatory have reached —20°F or lower on at least nine days, probably the most unusual feature of the winter for Hanover was the cold weather from December 28 to January 4 when the thermometer was below zero and on four days reached —31°F or below.

Days when the thermometer at the observatory does not rise to zero are not uncommon and the records occasionally show three or four days in succession when temperatures are continuously below zero, but the records do not show such a period of continuously low temperatures as are given below in the hourly readings from the thermograph records at the Observatory beginning at noon on December 28 and ending at noon on January 4.

Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tues Wed. Thurs. Fri. Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Dec. 30 Dec. 31 Jan. 1 Jan. 2 Jan. 3 Jan..4 Midn'ht| |—11|—24|—28|—l7|—21|—22| 5 1 a.m. | |—12|—25|—29|—17|—22|—24|—5 2 a.m. | |—13|—27|—32|—17|—24|—25|—5 3 a.m. | |—13|—28|—32|—17|—25|—26|—5 4 a.m. | |—14|—29|—33|—17|—26|—28|—5 5 a.m. | |—14|—31|—34|—17|—28|—29|—5 6 a.m. | |—15|—32|—35|—17|—30|—30|—5 7 a.m. | |—16|—33|—36|—17|—31|—31|—5 8 a.m. | |—17|—34|—37|—17|—31|—32|—5 9 a.m. | |—16|—33|—36|—14|—27|—31|-4 10a.m. | |—15|—27|—24|—10|—18|—25|—2 11a.m. | |—13|—19|—17|—8 |—10|—16|+5 Noon |+18|—13|—13|—10|-4|—6|—12|+5 1 p.m. |+20|—12|—11|— 9|—|- 2|+1—7| 2 p.m. |+21|—12|—10| 5|—1|+5|—2| 3 p.m. |+19|—12|—11|—4|—2|+ 4|—1| 4 p.m. |+16|—12|—11| 7|— 3|+ 3|—1| 5 p.m. |-8|—13|—15|—11|— 8|— 5|—1| 6 p.m. | 0|—14|—17|—13|— 9|—9|—2| 7 p.m. |—1|_15|—19|—12|—14|—12|—4| 8 p.m. |— 6|—17|—20|—15|—15|—15| 4| 9 p.m. |— 8|—18|—23|—17|—17|—17|—5| 10p.m. |-9|—19|—24|—17|—18|—19| 6| 11p.m. |—10|—22|—2s|—l7|—19|—21| 5|

The reading —37° on December 31 is the lowest reading recorded at the Observatory except a reading —39° recorded in Janury, 1857. The latter reading, however, was from a mercury thermometer and the record states that though mercury in thermometers about the village was reported as frozen, the mercury at the Observatory did not freeze.

There can be no question as to the possibility of freezing mercury in Hanover on the morning of December 31, 1917, as an alcohol thermometer at the home of Professor Haskins near Etna recorded —42° on that day.

With the exception of the reading —39°F on January 24, 1857, our previous lowest minimum record was —35° on February 9, 1861.

The records show at least five occasions on which the temperature at noon was lower than the temperature at noon on any day during this unusual week of the past winter. They are the following:

Tan. 10, 1859 —15° Tan. 23, 1857 —16° Feb. 8, 1861 —17° Tan. 11, 1859 —19° Jan. 13, 1914 —20°

In this connection the following information in regard to the frequency of minimum thermometer reading's as low as —20°F since January, 1857, and in addition the dates on which the temperature has been —3O°F or lower may be of interest. The records show that during this period the minimum reading has been:

—20, 25 times; —21, 17 times; —22. 20 times; —23, 14 times ; —24, 14 times ; —25, 6 times; —26, 4 times;'—27. 6 times; —28, 6 times; —29, 4 times; —30, 3 times: Feb. 8, 1861; Jan. 8, 1878, January 26, 1912; —31, once: Jan. 2, 1918;—32, 3 times: Dec. 25, 1872, Jan. 30, 1873; Jan. 3, 1918; —33, one:: Jan. 11, 1859: —34, 3 times: Jan. 19, 1887, Tan. 5, 1904, Dec. 30, 1917; —35, once: Feb. 9, 1861; —37, once: Dec. 31, 1917; —39, once; Jan. 24, 1857.