The Philosophy of the Weather. And a Guide to Its ChangesButler, T. B. (Thomas Belden)
Science
The Philosophy of the Weather. And a Guide to Its Changes
Butler, T. B. (Thomas Belden)
Weather; Weather forecasting
It will be obvious to every one, I think, certainly, if they will
hereafter study the subject and observe for themselves, that the N. W.
wind does not blow away the storm; and that it follows after it, blowing
over the surface which is uncovered by the storm; rarely, if ever, with
any force when the body of the storm passed south of us; and that it is a
purely surface wind, seemingly attracted by the peculiar magneto-electric
state in which the surface of the earth is left, compared with a snow-clad
surface to the north, by a recent storm, or that peculiar state of the
trade which is left by the action of the storm. It seems to follow that
magnetic wave which, passing from north to south, acts in its course upon
the counter-trade, producing the storm, or belt of showers, and giving
them their southern lateral extension, and will well repay future
telegraphic investigation. Its electricity is intensely positive--that of
the earth by the action of the storm as intensely negative.
5th. This N. W. wind occurs in all parts of the northern hemisphere, so
far as we have data to determine, and its corresponding wind from the S.
W. occurs in the southern hemisphere. It is identical with a class of the
northers of the Gulf of Mexico, as a brief analysis of the character of
the latter will show.
1st. The fall and winter _norther_ is a dry wind without rain or falling
weather--so is our N. W. wind.
2d. It is preceded by a falling barometer; S. E. scud and rain at the
point where it blows, or to the eastward of it. So is ours when it blows a
gale in the fall and spring months, which bear the nearest resemblance in
climatic character to the periods when the northers blow. With this
distinction, however, that our precedent rains either pass over us or to
the southward, the direction of storms being E. N. E.; their precedent
storms passing over or to the eastward of them as they move more to the
northward.
3d. It is often preceded by a copious dew; so is ours--such dews often
following light fall rains in our climate, and preceding N. W. wind.
4th. The most peculiar characteristic, however, is that the barometer
rises rapidly and invariably while the norther prevails, and very much in
proportion to its violence. The same is true of our genuine N. W. wind,
and is not true _of any other wind_ on this continent which I have
observed or read of.
5th. While they are thus alike in these respects, they are unlike in no
respect.
Mr. Redfield has traced them in _supposed_ connection with storms which
continue from that vicinity across the United States to the E. N. E., and
endeavored to connect them with those storms, as the left-hand winds of a
rotary gale. Obviously, I think, they are identical with our N. W. winds
which also _follow_, indeed, but _are distinct from the storms_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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