IAGenWeb Project


Shelby County
IAGenWeb


HISTORICAL

CHAPTER III. - WEATHER. (CONT'D)

GREATEST CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE IN ANY ONE DAY FOR THE YEARS 1900-1914, IN SHELBY COUNTY.

January,1900------47 °July,1901------45 °
 1906------44 ° 1911------42 °
February,1905------52 °August,1913------49 °
 1904------47 ° 1912------43 °
March,1908------55 °September1907------44 °
 1907------48 ° 1901------43 °
April,1910------55 °October,1901------45 °
 1907------48 ° 1905------43 °
May,1907------55 °November,1904------42 °
 1909------52 ° 1908------41 °
June,1901------45 °December,1911------43 °
 1910------40 ° 1905------40 °

AVERAGE MONTHLY AND ANNUAL SNOWFALL FOR IOWA, IN INCHES.
(By way of comparison.)

Year.Jan.Feb.Mar.Apr.MaySept.Oct.Nov.Dec.Ann'l
1892------6.95.03.95.7T --- --- 1.810.934.2
1893------6.98.14.06.0 --- --- --- 4.67.637.2
1894------6.08.42.70.2 --- --- 0.20.41.319.2
1895------8.73.32.92.1 --- --- T4.94.126.0
1896------2.85.45.44.5 --- --- T2.91.622.6
1897------8.28.05.5T --- --- --- 1.215.938.8
1898------12.67.83.7T --- --- 3.68.73.940.3
1899------1.57.18.02.0 --- --- --- 0.54.323.4
1900------2.39.06.60.9 --- --- --- 3.72.425.8
1901------6.29.712.62.0 --- --- T2.65.438.5
1902------9.42.61.3T --- --- T1.812.928.0
1903------2.07.93.90.8 --- --- --- 1.13.719.4
1904------6.14.54.41.4 --- --- T0.512.329.2
1905------11.115.54.11.2 --- --- 1.60.64.238.3
1906------11.36.18.90.6 --- --- 0.14.41.432.8
1907------6.04.64.12.71.0 --- --- 0.94.724.0
1908------4.88.91.10.3 --- T2.61.43.822.7
1909------7.87.79.83.10.1 --- T6.813.749.0
1910------12.64.0T3.0T --- 0.10.73.023.4
1911------7.37.01.93.60.7T0.61.612.635.3
1912------5.511.019.11.1 --- TTT1.138.0
1913------7.27.35.32.7 --- --- 1.20.41.325.4
1914------5.19.21.80.3T --- --- --- --- ---

HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IN YEARS 1890-1914 IN SHELBY COUNTY.

Largest snowfall for month of January in the years 1899-1914. 17.5 inches in 1902; second heaviest, 10.5 inches in 1905; in February, 14.5 inches in 1905; 14.9 inches in 1900; in March, 32 inches in 1912; 29.3 in 1901; in November, 8 inches in 1909; 7.2 inches in 1903; in December, 16.5 inches in 1909; 14.2 inches in 1902; and 14.1 in 1911. During the years 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1902 no snowfall was noted.

COLD MONTHS.

In each of the years 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1908, and 1910 there were 31 days in January, or every day in the month when the temperature was below 32 degrees. Every day of February, 1904, the temperature was below 32 degrees.

LEAST SNOWFALL IN SHELBY COUNTY.

The least snowfall for January in the years 1900-1914 was .2 of an inch in 1903; for February, 1.7 inches in 1904; for March, only a trace was reported in 1902 and none in 1910; for 1914, .3 of an inch.

SNOWFALL IN IOWA 1 849- 1868.
(By way of comparison.)

From the recorded observations of the celebrated Prof. T. S. Parvin, formerly of the State University of Iowa, now deceased, we have interesting data on the weather of Iowa. Previous to 1860 these observations were made at Muscatine and since that date at Iowa City. From Professor Parvin's recorded observations the following record of snowfall in eastern Iowa is taken:

 Snowfall Snowfall
Year.(in inches)Year.(in inches)
1849------9.41186145.45------
1850------7.90186248.65------
1851------18.00186345.46------
1852------50.10186418.27------
1853------16.30186518.73------
1854------12.50186629.64------
1855------46.10186761.97------
1856------54.40186819.33------
1857------35.10Mean33.23------
1858------37.40Least7.90------
1850------34.82Greatest61.97------
1860------56.05  ------

From this table it will be seen that the largest snowfall in eastern Iowa, according to these observations, was in 1867, with a total of 61.97 inches. The second largest snowfall was in 1860, with a total of 56.05 inches. The third largest snowfall, 54.04 inches, came in the celebrated winter of 1856, so often referred to by pioneers of Shelby.



Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, October, 2022 from the Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, by Edward S. White, P.A., LL. B.,Volume 1, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1915, pp. 53-56.