CLIMATE. Missouri lies in the milder half of the warm temperate zone. Being far inland, the State is subject to the extremes of a conti nental climate, which are all the more accen tuated by the fact that it is in the path of fre quent cyclonic storms. The average January temperature ranges from 35° F. in the south eastern to 20° in the northwestern corner. For July the average temperature is SO' iu the extreme south and 75: in the extreme north. The southwestern winds from the arid plains in summer sometimes send the mercury up to 105°, while the anticyclones of winter carry a mini mum of 10° below zero to the southern border. and 20° below to Saint Louis. thus giving that city an annual range of 125°. The southeastern extremity of the State has not a day in the year with the average temperature below freezing, but the record rises rapidly northward, there being 30 such days at Springfield, 60 at Jefferson City. and 90 at Roekport. The summers are pleasantly tempered in theOzark Plateau. The rainfall ranges
from 35 inches per year in the north to f0 inchefs at the Arkansas line. While this is well distributed through the year. there is a marked minimum in the winter season, and maximum in the summer season. Droughts lasting thirty days sometimes occur. Snow falls on the average to the depth of 20 inches in the latitude of Saint Louis, and less than 10 inches at the Arkansas line. though it rapidly disappears and seldom covers the gronnd many days. The average relative humidity for the year is less than 70 per cent. over the whole State. The prevailing winds are west and north west in January. and south in July. There are on the average 30 thunder storms in the year. with a maximum frequency in June. The north ern part of the State is in the area of maximum tornado frequency, and very severe and destrue tive tornadoes occasionally occur.