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Time of opening, closing, and number of days closed of the Maquoketa River | Earliest and latest frost of the season, and days without frost |
![](graphics/space.gif) YEARS |
![](graphics/space.gif) Closed |
![](graphics/space.gif) Open |
![](graphics/space.gif) YEARS |
![](graphics/space.gif) Days Cl'sed |
![](graphics/space.gif) YEARS |
![](graphics/space.gif) Date of Last Frost |
![](graphics/space.gif) Date of First Frost |
![](graphics/space.gif) No. of Days Without Frost |
1850 | | | | | 1850 | June 11 | Sept. 29 | 109 |
1851 | | | | | 1851 | May 7 | Sept. 16 | 131 |
1852 | | | | | 1852 | June 5 | Sept. 16 | 102 |
1853 | | | | | 1853 | April 20 | Sept. 10 | 142 |
1854 | Dec. 5 | Mar. 12 | 1855 | 97 | 1854 | May 22 | Sept. 20 | 120 |
1855 | Dec .25 | April 1 | 1856 | 98 | 1855 | June 13 | Sept. 27 | 105 |
1856 | Dec. 13 | Feb. 12 | 1857 | 61 | 1856 | May 30 | Sept. 20 | 112 |
1857 | Nov. 27 | Mar. 13 | 1858 | 107 | 1857 | May 21 | Sept. 23 | 124 |
1858 | Dec. 10 | Mar. 8 | 1859 | 87 | 1858 | May 21 | Aug. 28 | 99 |
1859 | Dec. 8 | Mar. 3 | 1860 | 85 | 1859 | June 4 | Sept. 2 | 89 |
1860 | Dec. 12 | Mar. 10 | 1861 | 87 | 1860 | May 15 | Sept. 12 | 119 |
1861 | Dec. 3 | April 1 | 1862 | 118 | 1861 | May 16 | Sept. 28 | 134 |
1862 | Dec. 5 | Mar. 13 | 1863 | 97 | 1862 | June 19 | Sept 25 | 97 |
1863 | Dec. 6 | Mar. 15 | 1864 | 99 | 1863 | June 8 | Aug. 25 | 77 |
1864 | Dec. 8 | Mar. 19 | 1865 | 100 | 1864 | June 13 | Sept. 19 | 97 |
1865 | Dec. 12 | Mar. 3 | 1866 | 80 | 1865 | May 11 | Sept. 30 | 141 |
1866 | Dec. 13 | Feb. 13 | 1867 | 61 | 1866 | May 17 | Sept. 21 | 126 |
1867 | Dec. 1 | Mar. 3 | 1868 | 92 | 1867 | May 26 | Sept. 10 | 106 |
1868 | Dec. 11 | Feb. 15 | 1869 | 65 | 1868 | May 21 | Sept. 13 | 114 |
1869 | Dec. 31 | Feb. 25 | 1870 | 56 | 1869 | June 6 | Sept. 26 | 111 |
1870 | Dec. 30 | Feb. 10 | 1871 | 41 | 1870 | April 29 | Oct. 13 | 166 |
1871 | Dec. 6 | Feb. 29 | 1872 | 84 | 1871 | May 10 | Sept. 21 | 133 |
1872 | Dec. 10 | Mar. 2 | 1873 | 81 | 1872 | May 2 | Sept. 27 | 147 |
1873 | Dec. 24 | Feb. 25 | 1874 | 62 | 1873 | May 13 | Sept. 8 | 117 |
1874 | Dec. 14 | Feb. 18 | 1875 | 65 | 1874 | May 18 | Sept. 30 | 134 |
1875 | Dec.17 | Feb. 13 | 1876 | *25 | 1875 | May 17 | Sept. 11 | 116 |
1876 | Dec. 2 | Feb. 1 | 1877 | 61 | 1876 | June 21 | Sept. 27 | 97 |
**1877 | Jan. 6 | Jan. 13 | 1878 | 7 | 1877 | June 10 | Sept. 18 | 99 |
1878 | Dec. 20 | Mar. 7 | 1879 | 76 | 1878 | June 10 | Sept. 11 | 92 |
1879 | Dec. | | | | 1879 | May 6 | Sept. 9 | 125 |
*Closed December 17; open again December 20; closed January 10; open again January 17; closed again January 29; open again February 13.
**The river did not freeze over the fall of 1877 |
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The science of Meteorology, as used for observation, and the description and explanation of the phenomena peculiar to the atmosphere of our earth generally, dates back twenty-five or thirty years. The Smithsonian Institution at Washington commenced the collection of data, from volunteer observers, as early as 1849. During the past five years the War Department of the United States Government have taken the matter in hand, and are making rapid progress toward foretelling the rise, progress and course of our American storms.
The following table shows the monthly maximum, minimum and mean temperature, range and temperature of well-water, for the year 1877, to which is added the annual for the past three years:
![](graphics/space.gif) 1877 |
![](graphics/space.gif) Max |
![](graphics/space.gif) Min |
![](graphics/space.gif) Mean |
![](graphics/space.gif) Range |
![](graphics/space.gif) Temp of well-water |
January | 45 | -20 * | 13 | 33 | 43 |
February | 60 | 13 | 32.8 | 47 | 48 |
March | 59 | -2 | 27.1 | 61 | 47 |
April | 74 | 20 | 43.4 | 54 | 48 |
May | 86 | 32 | 59.1 | 54 | 48 |
June | 85 | 41 | 66 | 44 | 48 |
July | 93 | 55 | 73.6 | 38 | 50 |
August | 89 | 48 | 70.1 | 41 | 49 |
September | 87 | 42 | 65.1 | 45 | 49 |
October | 82 | 24 | 49.7 | 58 | 49 |
November | 61 | 5 | 32.8 | 56 | 48 |
December | 64 | 17 | 39.5 | 47 | 48 |
Annual, 1877 | 93 | -20 | 47.6 | 113 | 47.9 |
Annual, 1876 | 95 | -18 | 46.4 | 113 | 48.5 |
Annual, 1875 | 92 | -8 | 43.4 | 100 | 46.4 |
Annual, 1874 | 96 | -21 | 46.8 | 117 | 45.2 |
For twenty years | 102 | -36 | 45.7 | 138 | 47.3 |
The temperature, as a whole, has been a trifle above normal. It reached as high as 93 degrees above on the 7th of July, against 95 in 1876, and fell as low as 20 degrees below zero on January 23, against 18 degrees below last year, making a mean temperature for the year of 47.6 degrees, .3 degrees above the normal. The Maquoketa River did not freeze over opposite town during the fall for the first time in twenty-five years. The river opened February 1st, and has remained open for the last eleven months of the year. The last hoar-frost occurred June 10, and the first in the fall on September 18, making 90 days without frost, against 97 days in 1876.
The following table shows the mean direction of the wind. The figures show the number of times each month the wind prevailed in each of the eight cardinal points for the year 1878:
![](graphics/space.gif) 1878 |
![](graphics/space.gif) N |
![](graphics/space.gif) NE |
![](graphics/space.gif) E |
![](graphics/space.gif) SE |
![](graphics/space.gif) S |
![](graphics/space.gif) SW |
![](graphics/space.gif) W |
![](graphics/space.gif) NW |
![](graphics/space.gif) Calm |
January | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
February | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
March | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
April | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
May | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 0 |
June | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
July | 4 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
August | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
September | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
October | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
November | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
December | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
Annual | 32 | 42 | 20 | 56 | 41 | 47 | 25 | 94 | 8 |
The following table shows the monthly value of rain and melted snow reduced to water in inches for the year 1877, and the annual value for the past two years:
![](graphics/space.gif) 1877 |
![](graphics/space.gif) Rain in Inches |
![](graphics/space.gif) No. Rainy Days |
![](graphics/space.gif) Snow in Inches |
![](graphics/space.gif) No. Days of Snow |
January | 2.10 | 1 | 17.25 | 5 |
February | 0.32 | 1 | 0.50 | 1 |
March | 6.54 | 2 | 26.60 | 8 |
April | 3.40 | 7 | 2.00 | 1 |
May | 3.70 | 7 |
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June | 8.74 | 11 |
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July | 2.23 | 6 |
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August | 6.75 | 5 |
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September | 1.47 | 3 |
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October | 6.21 | 13 |
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November | 3.84 | 5 | 11.62 | 6 |
December | 2.67 | 6 | 0.25 | 1 |
1877 | 47.97 | 67 | 58.22 | 22 |
1876 | 52.30 | 72 | 38.15 | 23 |
1875 | 29.57 | 61 | 44.72 | 32 |
For twenty years | 35.16 | 67 | 38.64 | 28 |
The total amount of rain-fall and melted snow reduced to water, measures 47.97 inches, against 52.30 inches, and was 12.81 inches above the normal-the most precipitation received in any one year for the past twenty-five years, except the years 1858, 1862 and 1876.
The first snow was landed on All Saints' Day, November 1, five days earlier than last year, making 185 days between the last and first snow-storms of the season. The snow for the year amounted to 58.22 inches, the largest share of it was landed in January and March. All the sleighing for the year was enjoyed in those months. It rained on sixty-seven days against seventy-two days in 1876, and snowed on twenty-two days, against twenty-three days in 1876. |
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