Note on the recent climatic fluctuation in the United States

The monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature means and the annual precipitation totals are compared for the two 25-year periods 1906–1930 and 1931–1955. The data from rural stations with homogeneous records were used. The temperatures in most places show significant rises. Annual rises of 1.5°F are noted over the Great Lakes region and in the mountain states. The average of 48 stations shows an annual rise of 0.8°F between the two time intervals. For the most part, precipitation changes are probably not significant, but a tendency toward lower totals is noted over the mountain states, parts of the Great Plains, and in a sector west of the Appalachians.