New Year donation in Schwaz and 1820 meteorological review for Innsbruck

Tyrol.

Schwaz, 3 Jan. In our poor community as well, the custom of replacing old politeness with a charitable donation has brought the needy a New Year's gift of 58 fl. 12 kr. this year, which is almost twice as much as in the previous year.

Innsbruck, 8 Jan. Meteorological observations were continued here in the recently elapsed year 1820 with the exact same accuracy as in previous years; they yielded the following results:

a. The average barometric height was 26 inches 3 ⅓ lines.

b. The average degree of temperature from the morning observations was 3 8/100 degrees, from the afternoon observations 11 15/100, hence from all of them 7 215/1000 degrees Réaumur.

The averages of the barometric heights were determined not from the maximum and minimum observed heights alone, but far more accurately from all observations made twice daily; the same procedure was used in finding the average degree of temperature for this year. Namely, from all morning observations, e.g., the degrees of temperature on the thermometer, the sum of the degrees of a month was calculated, and divided by the number of days; the quotient gave the average morning degree of temperature for the chosen month. Finally, the sum of all average morning degrees of temperature in the 12 months was divided by 12, thus yielding the average morning degree of temperature for the year 1820. The afternoon degree was calculated in the same way; halving the sum of both latter results gave the average degree of temperature for the year 1820. The observations marked with minus signs indicate the degrees below the freezing point on a mercury thermometer according to Réaumur and must, as is known, be subtracted from the sum of the added observations of each month or the entire year. To understand the increase and decrease of warmth through all months, the following list of average temperature degrees for each month, both morning and afternoon, serves. The digits following the point always indicate hundredths. Month Morn. Aft.

January -5.54 -0.31 July 10.68 21.63

Febr. -1.38 5.55 August 11.66 22.15

March -0.62 7.40 Septem. 7.11 14.98

April 4.73 14.51 October 5.48 11.05

May 7.89 17.61 Novem. -3.48 2.84

June 7.83 16.90 Decem. -5.04 -0.52

Average Morn. 3. 28. Aft. 11. 15.

c. Comparing the average temperature degree of this year = 7 215/1000 degrees with those of the preceding 44 years shows that the year 1820 belongs to the colder ones, as the average temperature degree from the previous 44 years gives 7 25/100 degrees for Innsbruck.

d. To be able to judge the difference in temperature of this past year compared to that of the preceding ones even more closely, a comparison according to the four seasons is attached. As spring months: March, April, May; as summer months: June, July, August; as autumn months: September, October, November; and finally as winter months: December, January, and February were assumed.

Season 1820 Average degree of 44 years

Spring 8.59 8.16

Summer 15.14 14.46

Autumn 6.31 8.03

Winter -1.21 -0.81

Spring and summer therefore belong to the warmer, autumn and winter to the colder seasons, with respect to the average observed temperature degrees of the previous 44 years; this was also the case in the years 1781 and 1788.

e. The greatest warmth was on 1 August, measuring 26½ degrees; the greatest cold on 13 January, -20 degrees.

f. The number of days without rain and snow was 214; rainy days and days on which it snowed were 152; on 69 days stronger wind was noticed; on 26 days there was thunder. According to the observations of the previous 44 years, the average number of days free of rain and snow was 237. Days on which it rained or snowed, 128. Windy days, 56. Days with thunder, 14. Therefore, the year 1820 belongs to the wetter, windier, and more storm-rich years.

g. To make it even easier to oversee and compare the number of rainy and dry days according to the seasons in which they occurred, the list of observations according to the four seasons follows, along with the calculated averages from 44 years of observation.

Season 1820 Average number of wet days in 44 years

Spring 40 29

Summer 57 45

Autumn 34 27

Winter 21 24

These show that in spring, summer, and autumn it rained more often than in previous years, whereas in winter it snowed less often. This case also occurred in the year 1809.