Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

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Report of the Secretary of Agriculture in relation to the forests, rivers, and mountains of the southern Appalachian region

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  • 148 SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. Temperature. The temperature of the region as a whole can not well be stated, since it is in general proportional to the altitude and is always higher on southern than on northern slopes. Few meteorological observations of any character whatsoever have been made except in the valleys and lower levels; indeed, with the exception of a few months'observations on the summit of Mount Mitchell, no meteorological observations are available for the 4,000-foot level and but two series of observations for the level between 3,000 and 4.000 feet. The monthly means and extremes of temperature, to which reference will again be made, are given for a number of stations in the tables which accompany this paper, weather types! d The wind system of the southern Appalachians in spring, fall, and winter is largely conditioned by the movement in latitude of cyclonic and anticyelonic storms. In the summer season these disturbances move across the country so far to the northward that their influence upon the weather of the southern Appalachians is almost inappreciable. The winds of summer will depend very largely upon the contour of the country, being upward from the valleys along the mountain side during the day and downward at night, with a general westerly drift over the mountain summits. In the more boisterous circulation of spring, late fall, and winter the winds are almost wholly controlled by the atmospheric disturbances passing eastward over the lake region or northeast ward from the Gulf of Mexico. The movement of cyclonic storms eastward across the lake region produces a type of weather in the southern Appalachians which, for convenience, may be called the southwest type. The chief characteristics of this type are southwesterly winds with rising temperature and increasing cloudiness. The velocity of the wind generally increases for a day or so, and finally shifts to the west and northwest, with lower temperature, but not much rain. The southwest is the most common type experienced, and is often associated with long periods of fair, dry weather. Next in point of frequency to the southwest type is what may be called the west gulf type, from the fact that the weather with which it is associated is produced by storms which approach from the west Gulf States. In this type fresh to brisk southeast to east winds are experienced with generally heavy rain throughout the entire region. As soon as the storm passes the winds shift to a westerly
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).