EQUABILITY OF CLIMATE.
Then, in regard to equability of climate, the great desideratum for invalids in any locality, here again sentiment and science are greatly at variance. An examination of the official records of the Signal Service Bureau, and the statistics of the Smithsonian Institute, showed that out of a list of forty cities on the continent Buffalo ranked highest for equability of climate. Thus we quote from an editorial in the Advertiser of the same issue: "While the aggregate of change for Buffalo stood at 67 for the year, that of Philadelphia reached 204, Washington was 224, Cincinnati 205, St. Louis 171. Winchester, in one of the healthiest parts of Virginia, reached as high as 201. Aiken, in South Carolina, a famous resort for invalids, touched 220. St. Augustine, one of the lowest in the list, showed a much less equable climate than that of Buffalo, being 94 to our 67." The transition from summer to winter, and vice versa, is exceedingly gradual, and, consequently, Buffalonians are seldom afflicted with those epidemic diseases which generally appear in other localities during the spring and summer months. Thus the thermometric readings of the Signal Service Bureau for 1873, show that the average temperature for July and August was 74°. For September it was about 64°, which was again reduced by about 10° for October. The monthly average for November was 73°, and for December 25°, which was also the average for January. Then the readings for February showed an average of 26°, for March 32°, and 43° for April. A more equable and gradual transition from midsummer heat to midwinter cold cannot be shown by any locality on this continent. Seldom does the mercury rise above ninety during our warmest summers, or fall below zero in our most severe winters. In J. Disturnal's work, entitled "The Influence of Climate in North and South America," published by Van Nostrand, in 1867, the climate of Buffalo is thus characterized: "From certain natural causes, no doubt produced by the waters of Lake Erie, the winters are less severe, the summers less hot, the temperature night and day more equable, and the transition from heat to cold less rapid, in Buffalo than in any other locality within the temperate zone of the United States, as will be seen by the following table." The table referred to shows that, "during the summer months, the temperature of Buffalo is from 10° to 20° cooler than that of any other point east, south, or west of the ports on Lake Erie; while the refreshing and invigorating lake breeze is felt night and day." The author further adds that "during the winter months the thermometer rarely indicates zero, and the mean temperature for January, 1858, was 20° above."
A careful investigation into the comparative climatology of the several great social and commercial centers, proved Buffalo to be superior to all others in the climatic requirements for the invalid. Besides, it has the important advantage of being a central point of traffic and travel between the West and the East.