Weather, January 1806
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

Weather, January 1806

 
Day of
the month
aspect of the weather
at ☉ rise
Wind at
☉ rise
Weather at 4 OC.
P.M.
Wind at 4 OC.
P.M.
  1st c a r S. W. r a c S .
  2nd c a r S W. r S. W.
  3rd c. a. r. h. T & L. S W c a r h. f S. W.
  4th c a r & h S W r a f & r S. E
  5th r S E r S. E
  6th c a r S E f E
  7th f N. E. c. a. r [2] S E
  8th f N. E c a f S. E.
  9th f S. W. c a f S. W
10th f. a r S. W. c a f S. W
11th c S. W. c a r S. W.
12th f a c N. W. c N. W.
13th r S. W. r S. W.
14th f a r N. E [3] c a f S.
15th r a c & r S E r. a r S
16th r a r S. W. r. a r S W
17th c a r S. W c S W
18th r. a. r. S. W c a r S W
19th c a r S. c a r S W
20th r a r S. W r a r S W
21st c a r S. W. c a r S W
22ed r a r S W c a r S W
23rd c a r H T & L [4] S W c a f S. W.
24th c a r & S S E c a r h & S E
25th h a r h & S N. E. c a r h & S N E
26th c a h & s N. E c a s N E
27th f. a. s N. E f N E
28th f N E f N. E
29th f N E f N E
30th S. a. S. N. C a. S W
31st f a c N. E. f. N. E
[Remarks] [5]
1st sun visible for a few minutes about 11 A M.    the changes of the
weather are exceedingly suddon.    sometimes tho' seldom the
sun is visible for a few moments the next it hails & rains, then
ceases, and remains cloudy the wind blows and it again rains;
the wind blows by squalls most generally and is almost invari-
ably from S. W.    these visicitudes of the weather happen two
three or more times half [6] a day.    snake seen 25th Decembr
3d the sun visible for a few minutes only. The thunder and light-
ning of the last evening was violent.    a Singular occurrence for
the time of year.    the loss of my Thermometer I most sincerely
regret. I am confident that the climate here is much warmer
than in the same parallel of Latitude on the Atlantic tho'
how many degrees is now out of my power to determine. Since
our arrival in this neighourhood on the 7th of November, we
have experienced one slight white frost only which happened
on the morning of the 16th of that month. [7]    we have yet seen
no ice, and the weather so warm that we are obliged cure our
meat with smoke and fire to save it.    we lost two parsels by de-
pending on the air to preserve it, tho' it was cut in very thin
slices and sufficiently exposed to the air.
4th the sun visible about 2 hours
6th the sun [8] shown about 5 hours this evening & it continued fare
during the night. [9]
7th it clouded up just about sunset, but shortly after became fare.
8th lost my P. M. obstn. for Equal Altitudes.
9th began to rain at 10 P. M. and continued all night.
10th Various flies and insects now alive and in motion. [10]
12th cool this morning but no ice nor frost    at miday sand flies and
insects in motion    the wind from any quarter off the land or
along the N. W. Coast causes the air to become much
cooler.    every species of waterfowl common to this country at
any season of the year still continue with us.
14th weather perfectly temperate    I never experienced a winter so
warm as the present has been. [11]
15th Saw several insects, weather warm, we could do very well with-
out fire, I am satsifyed that the murcury would stand at 55 a. O.
16th wind hard this morning    rained incessently all night.
17th rained incessently all night, insect in motion
18th rained very hard last night
19th rained the greater part of last night.
20th raind greater part of night    wind hard
21st wind hard this morning    contued all day
22ed wind violent last night & this morning
23d the sun shown about 2 h in the fore noon    when the sun is said
to shine ore the weather fair it is to be understood that it bearly
casts a shaddow, and that the atmosphere is haizy of a milkey
white colour.
24th this morning the snow covered the ground and mas cooler than
any wether we have had, but no ice
25th the ground covered with snow this morning ½ inch deep    ice
on the water in the canoes ¼ of an inch thick.    it is now precep-
tably coulder than it has been this winter.—
26th at 4 P. M. last evening the snow was one Inch deep ☉ rise this
morning 4¼ [12] inches deep    icesickles of 18 Inches in length
hanging to the eves of the houses.    coulder than it has been
the snow this evening is 4¾ inches deep, the icesickles of 18
inches in length continued suspended from the eves of the
houses during the day.    it now appears something like winter
for the first time this season.
27th the sun shone more bright this morning than it has done since
our arrival at this place.    the snow since 4 P. M. yesterday has
increased to the debth of 6 Inches, and this morning is percep-
tibly the couldest that we have had. I suspect the Murcury
would stand at about 20° above naught; the breath is percepti-
ble in our room by the fire. [13]
28th last night exposed a vessel of water to the air with a view to dis-
cover the debth to which it would freiz in the course of the
night, but unfortunately the vessel was only 2 inches deep and
it feized the whole thickness; how much more it might have
frozen had the vessel been deeper is therefore out of my power
to decide.    it is the couldest night that we have had, and I sup-
pose the murcury this morning would have stood as low as 15°
above 0.—
29th not so could, water in a vessel exposed to the [air] during the
night freized ⅜ths of an inch only. [14]
30th the weather by no means as could as it has been    snow feell
about one inch deep
31st this morning is plesant, the night was clear and cold    notwith-
standing the could weather the Swan white Brant geese & ducks
still continue with us; the sandhill crain also continues.—    the
brown or speckled brant are mostly gone some few are still to
be seen    the Cormorant loon and a variety of other waterfowls
still remain. The Winds from the Land brings us could and
clear weather while those obliquely along either coast or off the
Oceans bring us warm damp cloudy and rainy weather.    the
hardest winds are always from the S. W.

The blue crested Corvus bird has already began to build it's
nest.    their nests are formed of small sticks; usually in a pine
tree.—

Great numbers of Ravens, and a Small black Crow are con-
tinually about us. The pale yellow Streiked and dove coloured
robin is about, also the little brown ren or fly-catsch which is a
little larger than the humming bird. [15]
1. Lewis's weather table and notes are in Codex J; Clark's are in Codex I. This table follows Lewis, with substantial differences noted. (back)
2. Clark has "c. a. f." (back)
3. Clark has "N W." (back)
4. Clark has "C a. r. t. & L." (back)
5. Lewis in Codex J has remarks both in the margin of his weather table and separately; Clark's remarks in Codex I are also in the margin and separate. These remarks follow Lewis, with substantial differences noted. (back)
6. Clark does not have "half." (back)
7. Clark has "last month," probably an error since he is presumably referring to November. (back)
8. Lewis has omitted the word "sun" which is supplied by Clark in his journal. (back)
9. Clark adds, "I Set out with 12 men to the Kilamox Nation &c." (back)
10. Clark also says, "I returned from visiting the whale at the Kil a mox nation 45 m. S S. W." (back)
11. Clark adds, "as yet." (back)
12. Clark says, "4¾." (back)
13. Clark adds, "(The Indians nearly necked nothing but a Slight roab.)" (back)
14. This marginal remark in both Lewis's and Clark's tables appears to be under the twenty-eighth. However, it conflicts so greatly with their separate remarks for that date that it has been placed under the twenty-ninth. (back)
15. This last paragraph is found only in Clark's Codex I. The "pale yellow streiked and dove coloured robin" is presumably one bird, the varied thrush. Lewis describes it this day in his notebook journal. The wren is probably the winter wren, but see Holmgren, 34, for other possibilities. (back)