Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....The Climate 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 14, 2006, 3:31 am Book Title: History Of Imperial County California THE CLIMATE This is a subject susceptible of a great variety of definitions. It covers many aspects and features not readily embraced in few words. Of these, temperature is only one, though most important perhaps in the average range throughout the year. We often read of this or that place being endowed by Nature with the "finest climate in the world." But she rarely distributes her favor so lavishly in one spot. And such an expression really means very little in the abstract anyway. It gives the average person only a partial notion of the general meteorological conditions that prevail. There are so many elements that enter into the final estimate of climate in any particular place that personal investigation extending over a considerable period of time seems almost imperative. Then, in addition to all this, there is also a wide diversity of opinion in regard to just what constitutes the best climate. Perhaps no two persons would precisely agree upon this fundamental point. And this is as it should be, or the various latitudes of the earth would not all be inhabited. People become adapted to the climatic conditions which prevail in the region where they live. The term "equable" is usually applied in speaking of the most desirable climate enjoyed by human beings. Old geographic writers designated it in this rather indefinite manner when they meant neither too hot nor too cold, too dry nor too wet, but just pleasant most of the time, without any extremes of temperature or any violent atmospheric disturbances. And this is perhaps an ideal condition of the air that most nearly agrees with the average human mind. And yet some people are not entirely satisfied with such uniform conditions. They find it monotonous and prefer changes, though very apt to rebel sharply when these changes become very sudden and drastic. Climate therefore depends primarily upon temperature, of course, but also upon the relative humidity of the atmosphere. And all these things depend upon the location of the place with reference to the equator, not only, but the altitude above the sea. The terms climate and weather, however, should not be used indiscriminately, as there is a distinction between them. Climate is a condition of a place with relation to certain meteorological phenomena, and the term weather has reference to these phenomena themselves. As to the climate of this Imperial Valley, nine months of the year are considered perfect, and without any rival. It is extremely rare that the region is visited by frost. There are no violent storms, and rains are seldom known. But the remaining three months of every year are methodically and admittedly hot. But it is at this very time that the green things growing are improving every shining hour, and making the farmer's heart glad. And yet settlers soon become inured to this heat, and both men and teams work without much discomfort. It is cool in the shade and the nights are always cool, affording restful sleep, while the sleeper dreams of his rapidly ripening fruit and their early arrival in the markets to catch the top prices ahead of other competitors in less favorable regions. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY CALIFORNIA EDITED BY F. C. FARR IN ONE VOLUME ILLUSTRATED Published by ELMS AND FRANKS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918 Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/history/1918/historyo/climate208nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb