Farmer's Almanac 2000 [2000 ed.] 1928720005, 9781928720003

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HOLIDAYS, NOTABLE

OBSERVANCES AND Days

IN 2000

JANUARY 10 14 15 15

1 New Year’s Day

Epiphany (Catholic) (Episcopal) 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. bdo & Epiphany

AUGUST Fast of Av WWII ended 1945 Dog Days End Assumption B.V.M.

Birthday (Observed)

SEPTEMBER 2 2 12 14 21

FEBRUARY Groundhog Day Purification (Candlemas) Lincoln’s Birthday St. Valentine’s Day Presidents’ Day

4 Labor Day 10 Grandparents’ Day 22 Autumn Begins (12:28 p.m. EST) 30 Rosh Hashanah (New Year)

OCTOBER

22 Washington’s Birthday (Traditional)

MARCH 7 Shrove Tuesday 7 Mardi Gras 8 Ash Wednesday 12 First Sunday in Lent

15 17 17 18 20

Ember Day St. Patrick’s Day Ember Day Ember Day Spring Begins (2:35 a.m. EST) 21 Purim

APRIL

1 April Fools’ Day

Se Wavlipht saving

Time Begins

TerPana Sunday

ey 20 First Day of Passover

21 Good Friday

MAY 1 Law Day 8 V.E. Day

14 Mother’s Day 20 Armed Forces Day y on Cenc

9 Columbus Day (Observed) 9 Yom Kippur 12 Columbus Day (Traditional) 24 United Nations Day 29 Daylight Saving

Time Ends 31 Halloween

JUNE 11 Children’s Day

NOVEMBER 1 All Saints’ Day ;

14 Flag Day 14 Ember Day

2 All Souls’ Day 7 Election Day

16 Ember Day

17 Buber Day

18 Father’s Day

20 Summer Begins (8:47 p.m. EST)

JULY 3 Dog Days Begin

4 Independence Day

x ce

Day

ati

DECERI

BER

3 Advent Sunday

7 Pearl Harbor Day 21 Winter Begins (8:38 a.m. EST)

22 Chanukah

23 Easter

15 St. Swithin’s Day

30 Greek Orthodox

25 Christmas Day

20 Fast of Tammuz

31 New Year’s Eve

BEING BISSEXTILE, OR LEAP YEAR, AND UNTIL THE FOURTH OF JULY THE 224™ YEAR OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES

Containing early America at its best, delightfully threaded through with a measure of good humor, amusing anecdotes, wise-old weather predictions, helpful hints and good reading for every member of the family done on a high moral plane.

EDITED BY PETER GEIGER, PHILOM. AND MANAGING EDITOR, SONDRA DUNCAN COPYRIGHT © 1999 BY ALMANAC PUBLISHING COMPANY

ISSN: 0737-6731 Address all correspondence to:

FARMERS ALMANAC P.O. Box 1609, Lewiston, Maine 04241

NO. 1815862

Astronomy 67 Eclipses In 2000 The Planets In 2000 Meteor Showers In 2000 Glossary Of Astronomical Terms Dates And Times of Full Moons Dates And Times Of The Seasons SANS

92 Sunrise, Sunset, Moonrise, And Moonset, Dates and Times

Calendars &

‘Tables

46 Global Gardening Sauteed

49 Create a Living Centerpiece 50 Planting By The Moon .132 Spring Gardening Questions And Answers

Humor 4 35 63 15 139

PhilosoFacts Halloween Puns Favorite Tombstone Newspaper Bloopers Capsules Of Wisdom

Weather 74 Hebrew, Moveablee Holiday, And Church Days Calendar Planting and Gardening Calendar Best Times To Calendar Best Days To Calendar Heat Index & Wind Chill Tables Explanation Of The Calendar Pages

BeaBRee Monthly Astronomical Calendars From September 1999 To December 2000

140 Wright’s Fishing Calendar 145 Atlantic And Pacific Coast Tide Tables For 2000

160 Three-Year Calendar Z

Caleb’s Comets

90 General Weather Outlook For 2000

91 U.S. Zoned Map

93 Monthly Weather Forecasts From

September 1999 ‘* To December 2000

Recipes 22 Seasonal Recipes

1229 From The Farmers’ Almanac Kitchen 2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

_ ?

PRITURE

ARTICLES

8 It’s About Time

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ports Trivia

Aweather special feature YEAR 2000, from

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14 20th-Century Technology

18 Helpful Hints -20

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100 Most Memorable } - Weather Events

Everything Apple

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Caleb Weatherbee

Puzzles And Brainteasers

22 Seasonal Recipes

yt

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124 Out Of The Mouths Of Babes 1226 Farmers’ Almanac Annual Student Writing Challenge

129 From The Farmers’ Almanac Kitchen

132 Spring Gardening Questions And Answers

135 21st Century Predictions 136 Fight Back Organically What Can You Use Herbs For? | 142 The Lure Of The Fly— A Story A Look At 20th-Century Fads About Fly Tying Halloween Update gy Hot Air Balloons Of The

28 30 34 36 42 Make More Money From Your Garage Sale

Century :

44 Penny Pinching Plans 46 Global Gardening Sources 54 Ever Wonder Where All The Animals Go? =oaf

58 Quick Facts About Quick Sand

60 Low-Countty Folklore 64 Laughable Dividends From The Stock Market

366 Why Do We Leap This Year? 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

156 The Origin Of The Parade 3

PHILOSOFACTS If you must make mistakes, it will be more to your credit if you make a new one each time.

: By sharing in thejoy of another, we increase thatjoy. By sharing the woe of : another, we diminish that woe.

Stand up for something or you'll fall for ;Take life as you find it, but don’t leave it anything. :thatway. The longer a person is in error, the

surer that person is that he/she is right.

The poorest person is not the one with: outacent, but the one without a dream.

: No road is too long when afriend is in One of the best things you can have up ; : trouble. your sleeve is a funny bone. OHione sense is the kind that keeps If you think the world is all wrong, : horses from betting on humans. remember it contains people like you.

? One door may be shut, but many If you make your life important, it is quite likely to return the favor.

: others are open.

_ True love has eyelids as Se well as eyes.

Today is the day that you keep putting off.

_Take care that your In recent times, science has provided so many substitutes that itis hard to remember what it was we needed in the first place.

Youwillnever

~~

not their opinion of you.

Asmile is a light in the window which shows the heart is at

leat il

offendaperson by [imam Po

returningasmile. A person’s mind, like a parachute, works best when it’s open.

opinion of others is

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Thesecret ioc contentment Isknowing how toenjoy hal)you have

Dreams never

come true by | Oversleeping.

|;| Nothing wrong | ever happens at | the right time.

; 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC | 4

We are pleased to offer warm greetings through this Almanac, 7 part of an Almanac family that has mellowed for more than a century and a half in the fine traditions of early America. Like a friendly clasp of hands, it is a symbol of our sincerest good wishes. You will find in tts pages anecdotes and information that should be helpful throughout the year and be a guide to pleasant living.

We hope it will find a

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convenient and important place in your home.

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DECEMBER

Sex| ea Byes ae Sonar NShow SRROnws ERRSe4H - 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

5

7

. From the

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* litor § Desk & WELCOME

Dear Readers,

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:

What an exciting time this is: the year 2000—the last year of the 20th century, the first year of the two thousands, and the 183rd year of publication for the Farmers’ Almanac. Ym often asked “how a publication that started in the early 1800s could still be of interest to people of this day and age.” The answer is quite simple. While the Farmers’ Almanac has always reflected the people and the interests of the times, it has also been able to retain a bit of the charm and nostalgia that people desire. I often compare the Farmers’ Almanac to a holiday tradition or a family heirloom—things that remind us that, while times may change, warm remembrances of days gone by never go out of style. And that’s why this edition of the Farmers’ Almanac is an extra special one—a keepsake of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. As we reflect on the 20th century, the most powerful and influential vehicle of change has been technology (see pages 14-16 for a detailed look at 20th-century technological advances). Technology has enabled us to cure some of the diseases that took the lives of our ancestors. It has given us vehicles that allow us to drive to work, fly among the birds, or explore the moon. It has provided us with answers to questions that people 100 years ago never dreamed of. And yet technology still cannot solve one of the biggest remaining mysteries of the world—the weather. To celebrate the mystery of weather, our very own Caleb Weatherbee has put together a list of the “100 Most Memorable Weather Events” starting on page 80. This list is comprised of 100 years of weather events, starting in 1900, running up to ee of the year 2000. See how many you can recall or experienced first-hand. And, in recognition of the year 2000, the last year of the second millennium, we’ve also included an informative and fun article on why the 21st century does not begin until next year and what we should call the first decade (page 8), as well as a look at some 20th-century fads (page 30). Reflecting on the past year, I thank all of our friends in the media, including Good

Morning America, the Associated Press, and CNN, for helping us bring the stories and news of the Almanac into your homes. I also thank you, our dear readers, for the countless letters and E-mails that you sent to us. While we embrace technology at the Farmers’ Almanac (check out our Web site at www.farmersalmanac.com), we promise to continue to bring you a publication that keeps up with the times in a unique and nostalgic fashion. After all, times have changed, but society is much as it has been—made up of warm, caring individuals with dreams of a bright future. Faithfully,

Gree ©.

Yew,

Peter E. Geiger, Philom. For David Young, Philom.

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

~

=

The 2000 Edition ofthe FARMERS’ ALMANAC™ ORIGINATOR: DAVID YOUNG, PHILOM.

Find Caleb's

(1781-1852) EDITOR: PETER GEIGER, PHILOM. MANAGING EDITor: SONDRA DUNCAN CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: RICHARD LEDERER Mary BETH Morris

GRAPHIC DESIGN: RICHARD PLOURDE

|

ASTRONOMY: JOE Rao, HART WRIGHT COMPANY

SENIOR Copy EDITOR LYLE BLOOM Copy Eprrors KAREN DAIsE Nancy MOYER Doris VIOLETTE ‘WADE WALKER ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: SONIA KARNES

PUBLISHER: ALMANAC PUBLISHING COMPANY

’

EDITORIAL, PUBLISHING, ADVERTISING OFFICE: P.O. Box 1609 LEWISTON, MAINE 04241 Phone: 207-755-2000

Fax: 207-755-2422 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.farmersalmanac.com

Farmers’ Almanac does not accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Unsolicited manuscripts, illustrations

| and/or photographs must be accompanied

by a self-addressed stamped envelope or they will not be returned.

© 1999 Almanac Publishing Company. _ |Reproduction in whole or part without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Printed in the USA. 2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

The year 2000 and fast approaching new millennium have Caleb Weatherbee so excited that he has misplaced his favorite pocket watch. This family heirloom watch not only helps keep Caleb on time for his weekly weather powwows, but also helps him count down the hours, minutes, and seconds until the new millennium.

We know it’s somewhere within the pages of this year’s Almanac, but we can’t find it. Ifyou find it (see above for a picture of what it looks like, and NO, that picture is NOT the

hidden pocket watch), write to us and tell us what page it’s on, and where it’s hidden on that page. Only letters will qualify, no phone calls, faxes, or E-mails please.

The first 900 people to correctly find Caleb’s missing watch will receive a FREE Farmers’ Almanac Press and Stick™ Calendar. Only winners will be notified. Mail your letter to:

Caleb’s Missing Pocket Watch Farmers’ Almanac Box 1609 Lewiston, ME 04241

COMING SOON TO A CALENDAR NEAR YOU!

Lederer .. Richard Lederer is author of The Word Circus, contributing editor of the Farmers’ Almanac, and a well-known speaker, and verbalist.

°

| Pa at us at the speed of3,600 seconds per hourlis | that magic moment when the cosmic odometer roils over three zeroes in a row, the roundest of round numbers. Coming soon to a calendar near you is Father Time’s big day—the quadruple mindblower of a new year, new decade, new century, and new millennium, all in one fell swoop. ut stop and think for a moment. Just when does the Third Millennium

of the Christian Era begin? There are those among us who point out that Christ was one year old at the end of the first year A.D. and that the first decade A.D. was not over until the end of the year 10. Each new decade, therefore, ends with a year that ends with a zero and each new decade begins with a year that ends with a one.

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

Millennia being clusters of a thousand years, the last year of each millennium must end in zero and the first in one. The one thousandth year was A.D. 1,000, and the first day of the ‘ Second Millennium of the Christian Era was January 1, 1001. Therefore, the Second Millennium ends at midnight on December 31, 2000, and the New Millennium begins the next

day—January 1, 2001. There are people who will stay home on the night of December 31, 1999, while most others will be dancing in the streets to celebrate the arrival of the year 2000. One year later, ‘round will go out to ring in the twenty-first century and find only a small gathering of themselves. Weat the Farmers’ Almanac suggest that the world throw two humongous global bashes:

let's ringinthelastyear of the Second Millennium. A year

J

=
Love and romance flourish in Leo, the heart. Leo is also a good sign to go looking for a job, if you are in need of one.

Pisces. * Dig post holes in the dark of the Moon (between full and new Moon).

* Paint your house during Aries or Leo. The paint will dry faster.

They will settle tight and firm.

The LIGHT of the Moon is the period between the New Moon and the Full Moon, when it is waxing or

growing lighter. The DARK of the Moon is the period from the Full Moon to New Moon, when It Is decreasing, known as waning, or getting darker. :

52

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

BEST

DAYS

CALENDAR

The best days listed here are based on both the phase of the Moon and its position in the zodiac. Many people believe that if you do the tasks on the dates listed, you will get the best results possible.

DRY Fruteg.

MARVEST

=—-HUNT

JAMS/ —seitig

coven

we

3,4,23-25,

17,30,31

15,21, 22 | 1-14,29-31| 15-28

9-17

112, 27-30 | 13-26

5-14

4,5

_ 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

112, 27-31 | 13

.

23

Ever wonder *->ss 2 th of l al é wher

K A “ 2, 90 s al im an by JOHN N. COLE Freelance author located in Brunswick, Maine.

TTcre is just one creature on earth that can build afire, adjust athern or stoke a stove, and that is humankind. Each and every one of the other living things that occupy two-thirds of the nation’s land mass north of latitude 35 have just three choices when it comes to surviving the winter cold. They can resist, migrate or hibernate. Of these, hibernation is the favorite.

2000

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Ved

POOHHHSHOOSOETOSEOHOOEOHOSEOHHOOOOHSOHOEOOOSOOCOHO OOO OOOO OODOOLETOOESECOEOEOEOOS

, SOME TOUGH IT OUT ~ Ermines, wolves, deer, partridge, shrews and moose are among the resisters. During severe winters, many will not survive. But over the millennia, these creatures have adapted to subfreezing temperatures. The tiny shrew is a cgn- stant hunter, darting along tunnels under . the snow, while overhead a fox cocks its

_ head, listening for the delicate rustle that. signals life beneath the drifts.

OTHERS FLEE TO WARMER TEMPERATURES — It is a life of constant risk. That is why

though scientists have studied it for decades and are exploring it still. Even the term hibernation has differing degrees of meaning; among them are the terms that

apply to warm-blooded creatures and those that are used to describe what occurs with their cold-blooded counterparts. Turtles, snakes, frogs and other such creatures have no internal mechanisms for generating body heat and will perish in the cold.

NATURAL ANTIFREEZE And yet countless hundreds of thousands of them do survive; some of them,

winged creatures take flight to escape the seasonal chill that imprisons rivers and so-

like the spring peeper, to celebrate with song when winter is over and gone. Ah, but there is more than meets the ear in that celebration of renewal. For the tiny peeper, along with several of its frog rela-

lidifies lakes. From September through

tives, is one of the most fascinating of all

November, the skies are crowded with hawks, hummingbirds, warblers, plovers, robins, swallows, and bluebirds; all of them, and many more, on the same mission of survival: fleeing the cold.

tures that can, in winter emergencies, gen-

those who can, migrate. From the

‘monarch butterfly to the robin and Canada goose, tens of thousands of

AND THE REMAINING HIT THE SACK That leaves the teeming balance of every kind of living creature in the north with just one choice: hibernate or perish. Some hibernators are better known than others: bears in their dens, squirrels in hollow trees, and that most publicized _ of all hibernators, the groundhog in its burrow. Yet these are but three among the countless thousands of creatures that survive the cold by taking what 4 amounts to a long winter’s nap. But comparing hibernation to a nap is an oversimplification of a com-

plex biological process that is - still not fully understood, even 2C00O FARMERS’

ALMANAC

hibernators. Within what looks to most of us to be an unremarkable frog’s exterior is a metabolic mechanism so complex it is still not fully understood. These are crea-

erate their own, internal antifreeze. And it’s not that different from the liquid mixtures that circulate through millions of automobile engine cooling systems. It’s glucose. When atree frog’s body temperature drops a couple of degrees below freezing—the water in its system actually begins to form ice crystals —the tiny creature’s survival mechanisms kick in. Glycogen in its liver is rapidly converted to glucose and dumped at an extraordinary rate into the frog’s bloodstream. Indeed, the antifreeze is produced quickly enough to increase blood glucose as much as 200 times in eight hours. These tiny, so apparently fragile, creatures can double

iB

their heartbeat rate within minZ

utes of a dangerous drop in temperatures. continued on page 56

55

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Sometime in the 17th century, Germans began saying that if the hedgehog was frightened by its shadow on Candlemas Day ... well, the rest is history. When emigration to America began in the 18th century, the legend crossed the Atlantic and now

Blessed with this exceptional equipment, peepers and other tree frogs are not as diligent when it comes to preparing for the cold as many of their reptile relatives. The snapping turtle will dig deep beneath the soft mud of a river or lake bottom. all America knows Punxsutawney Phil as Thereitwill slow its entire metabolism, and sleep safely submerged through the * the planet’s most prominent hibernator. winter. The box turtle, a land-based distant cousin, will search for a fallen tree, a brush ‘TO SLEEP LIKE A BEAR pile or a windrow of autumn leaves. If the The bear is almost certainly the next best known of winter soil is suitably loose, the turtle digs its own burrow, pushing soil out sleepers. Many scientifwith its hind feet until it ic studies of how the can count on spendblack bear manages ing the cold months to snore safely a foot or so underthrough five or six ground. Sometimes months of winter have been a box turtle gets completed or are still in lucky and finds an ~. progress. Part of the abandoned woodreason the scienchuck den. tists have made such progress surely has something to do GROUNDHOG’S WINTER with the soundness of a bear’s winter GETAWAY slumber. According to research gathered The woodchuck, or groundhog, hardly during two decades of observation of winever has to worry about freezing. Perhaps tering black bears in northern Minnesota, the most accomplished excavator of all the otherwise intimidating carnivores can North American mammals, woodchucks be poked and prodded fairly frequently beconstruct complex and spacious underfore they even begin to awaken from their — ground apartments complete with sepadeep sleep. rate chambers. These include nurseries, When they finally do open their eyes, bathrooms, escape hatches, and a master they are not too happy with being disbedroom. Far below the frost line they can turbed—they’re downright cranky. That’s — curl up for a worry-free winter. Regardless understandable when you realize that of what you may have heard about once their slowed-down systems get back Punxsutawney Phil, no groundhog is likeup to speed, the bears simply can’t lie ly to leave its bedroom on February 2. It’s down and go back to sleep. It’s much simply too early in the year. This story more complicated than that. These big anstarted with the ancient European belief imals have to restart the complex biologithat if the sun shone on Candlemas Day— cal and metabolic processes that were enalways celebrated on the second day of ergized back in October when they first February—then winter would hang lumbered into their dens for a snooze they

around for another six weeks. 56

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— -

SPSSCHSCHSHSHSHOHHSSHSHSHSHSHHSHHHSHOHTAHHSSHHHVSSHHHHHSHSHSSHOHHHSSHSHSHOHSHHSHSHHSHHHHEHHHHHEROES2EROR

expected would last until April. In other words, they have to get 100 percent fully

_ awake and on their feet before they can even think about going back to bed. No |wonder they're cranky. | Like most hibernating mammals, bears |stoke up on food before they retire. Foraging far outside their normal range | during early autumn, they harvest and de| vour as much of the summer’s bounty as they can find. As you might expect, they ' | gain weight. Indeed, they get downright fat. For a black bear (unlike a great many folks on diets and in gyms across the country), fat is good. It is essential if the animal is to survive. During hibernation,

- 2000

using internal systems that are not fully understood, bears live off their fat, converting the waste into nontoxic, useful, compounds. The secrets of how this is accomplished are of obvious importance for a fuller understanding of human metabo-

lism and digestive systems. The entire complex process of hibernation has far reaching implications for the future of space travel. There is still much to be learned from all the creatures that can sleep safely through winter. Much admiration should be given to the living things that can withstand Mother Nature’s elements.

18. Nitrogen is made

- s : ee. more dangerous than a

into organic material by green plants, bacteria, and algae.

- An elephant isbigger

: thana blue whale.

. Bass arecolor-blind.

14. Mount Rainier _ National Park is named after a volcanic mountain.

10.Turtles have teeth.

. Young birds such as ducks, geese, and shore sare born with nace

The Savoie is often 7 oitae as the

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

15. The duckbill platypus and the spiny anteater are the only two mammals that lay eggs.

_SEE PAGE 63 FOR ANSWERS! =y/f

By Nick Howes Nick is a freelance author located in Nashville, IL |

Arriving at the pasture about 4:30 one August morning to gather the grazing milk herd, the teenaged girl looked for her favorite cow, Violet. Maureen Kay Hughes was about 12 or 13 years old at the time, and was living on the family farm near Penfield, Illinois. She recalls following the gaze of some of the other cattle to discover Violet in serious danger. The pregnant cow was under a bridge, mired to her stomach in a patch of quicksand. Hughes sent her Border collie home to fetch help. Even with her dad and a hired hand helping, they were unable to use a halter to get the cow free. According to Hughes, “We ended up using a tractor and log chain wrapped around her front quarters to drag her out.” eeceeseeeceeeecc0

uicksand has been a deadly staple of Hollywood adventures since movies were invented, inherited as a literary device from writers like Sir Walter Scott. Encounters with quicksand figured into movies that featured Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, dinosaurs, or the Addams Family. Hollywood’s recipe for quicksand is certainly less lethal than the real thing (actors cost too much to replace). Studio quicksand is often a layer of dark sawdust floating on pools of water that are both small in area and conveniently deep. Hollywood has had a tendency to exploit the real peril of quicksand—what’s worse than having the ground opening up and swallowing you? But movies also perpetuate myths.

58

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MYTH #1: It sucks its victims into its depths quickly. Quicksand does not suck its victims into its depths. The danger lies in the density of the quicksand solution. Struggle can create suction which can draw you under to drown, but that’s due to your actions, not that of the quicksand. Panic can result in drowning though. You sink into quicksand in the same manner that you sink in any liquid—it’s just water with loose sand suspended in it. It’s even easier to float on than water, because with the sand content, it’s about twice as heavy as pure water.

MYTH #2: Quicksand is made up of special, wet sand. Another myth is about the nature of quicksand. Expert opinion once suggested a uniqueness in the sand itself.

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

But that isn’t true. Nor is the mere wetness of the sand the “secret ingredient” of quicksand. As anyone who goes to the beach knows, sand that is wet simply packs. It wasn’t until the 1940s that scien-

it has displaced its own weight. Victims who remain levelheaded find that it’s easier to float on than water, because quicksand is about twice as heavy as water.

What if you fall into quicksand while out hiking?

tists discovered that quicksand is produced by a spring squirting water up under a sand bed. The water counter-

acts the weight of the sand and creates a solution of sand suspended in liquid. The finer the sand grains are, the less the water pressure needs to be to make it “quick.” Still confused? Try this: fill a jar halfway with sand,

and then top itoff with water. Put a lid on it and shake. For the first second or so until the sand settles, you have quicksand. A quicksand patch is often very shallow, maybe only a couple of inches deep. It can be much deeper, but the more sand there is, the more

force the spring has to exert to keep the sand in suspension.

MYTH #3: Quicksand is rare. Another myth suggests quicksand is rare, found in only a few unusual places. Actually, ifyou go looking, you can probably find it in all 50 states and in all of the Canadian provinces, especially if you search places where springs are common, such as river bottoms, seacoasts or hilly country. However, quicksand is sometimes found in heavily populated areas. The only ironclad rule for quicksand is it must have sand and moving water.

MYTH #4: Falling in quicksand means instant death. Even though the density of a human body is greater than that of the quicksand solution, a body will sink only until it reaches the point where

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

.

Above all, keep your head. Panic can lead to drowning or a heart attack. Be extremely patient, don’t struggle, and move slowly. Drop flat on your back and unhitch any pack or similar equipment you might be wearing. Being on your back will help you to ease your feet and legs clear of entrapment. Then you can roll out or, some suggest as an alternative, roll to the prone position and swim out with a crawl stroke. Either way, it may involve hours of effort, probably with frequent rest breaks. Some beds are firmer than others and may present a temporary opportunity for the quick thinking—you may be able to run back out before - you’re entrapped. But you only have _an instant to react, then you must switch gears, stop struggling, and get on your back. Another characteristic of a quicksand bed is that it may be covered by a firm crust. Hughes remembers that the quicksand patch the cow was in was covered by a solid, 5-inch layer of sand, which gave it the mundane appearance of one of the sandbars found along the riverbank. In fact, Hughes believes the crust may have been firm enough that Violet was not alerted to her danger until it was too late. Luckily, that victim had help at hand and avoided an unfortunate end.

59

LOW-COUNTRY FOLKLORE WISDOM

a

OF

TIDES

THE

MUTASE icc RTCM UCM eT CUMIN eT RSIEC]CMM

he folklore of South Carolina’s T low country intertwines with facts as naturally as the land and water there. This storied area _ spans from Georgetown County in the north to the Georgia border, reaching as far inland as the flood of the tides. Long before golf and beach resorts made their homes there, the low country was ruled by the trawler (fishing boat or fisherman) and the plow. Residents fetched their livelihood from the sea and bays or coaxed it from the rich coastal soils. Tethered to the seasons and the weather, they looked to nature for timely guidance on whether it was smart to sail, good to fish, or safe to plant. These practical signs—-combined with more than a few superstitions— are a classroom of continuing education for Captain Sandy Vermont of Georgetown County. Captain Sandy,

as he likes to be called (he holds a Captain’s license), is a natural story-

teller. He took to the low-country waters early in his life, and while he has anose for the sea, he has.an even better ear for the culturally rich lowcountry folklore.

CAPTAIN

Sandy Vermont of Georgetown County

Occasionally, Captain Sandy holds court from a rocking chair throne and dispenses folk pearls for low-country living. “I learned early on—when I started shrimping—that fishermen have strong feelings about religion and superstition,” he respectfully notes. According to Captain Sandy, lowcountry fishermen had a host of unwritten proverbs that governed most aspects of fishing, including when to leave on a long sail. “Never start a long voyage on a Friday because that is the day Christ was crucified.” According to the old-timers, Friday is not a good day to leave because you may never return.

nce at sea, there are lots of QO do’s and some curious don'ts: Sandy learned quickly to “never take a hatch cover off and turn it upside down—t will catch water and so will your boat,” and to “never whistle at sea or you'll whistle up a storm.”

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC .

7,

Amore foreboding caution is: “Don’t take anything black aboard a boat, because black is the Cape of Death.” Sandy discovered the last two through personal experience. One time he inadvertently whistled on board, which signaled his captain to promptly haul in the nets and head for the dock. He also faced a reluctant crew who asked him not to board with an old hand-medown black satchel.

for a living, and nearly everyone had a vegetable garden. Miss Ella Wright of Sandy Island (no connection to Sandy Vermont) is a direct descendent of low-country rice plantation slaves, who were a source of many folklore maxims concerned with living off the land. Yet many of these observations

were tied to the river and the tides, much as the sea islands are. “According to Miss Ella,” relays Sandy, “you ‘milk a cow on the rising T he weatheris of particular con- tide and more cream will come to the cern to low-country shrimp top.”” There are other ways land and trawlers. And, as you can imag- sea are connected. Shad is a migratory fish with a roe that is a lowine, the “signs” or “tales” of country delicacy. weather predictors were as “You know that According to folk tradiplentiful as seagulls are OR ONC il tion, the red breast of the around fishing boats. Sky at morning, robin is the color of the “Seabirds flying high in the sailors take warnripened shad roe, which northern sky mean a storm Pe gave rise to the folk wison the way,” so do “red OLA CL dom: “when the robins clouds in the west.” delight’? Well, it show up, the shad are in “Speaking of weather,” CTT the river.” says Sandy, “you know that around here.” In the fall, yellow sulfur old favorite ‘Red Sky at butterflies would migrate morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors delight’? through the low country and accordWell, it doesn’t work around here. I ing to the old folks, “when you see the suspect it might make more sense butterfly, it’s time to strike (set and where the ocean is on the other side, haul in) your mullet net.” That’s because mullet roe is the same color as meaning west of the land.” “You can’t catch shrimp on a north- the butterfly’s wings. Closer to home, smart farmers east wind,” Sandy declares, adding that it doesn’t pay enough to go out knew it wasn’t safe to plant corn until when the wind comes from the north- “last year’s leaves fall off of the white east. Another version of this expres- oak trees.” The persistent leaves of sion is the verse, “Southeast wind is white oak must be pushed off by newly emerging leaves, which happens your friend, northeast wind come in.” when both the ground and the air are T he wisdom of the land. While warm. It was also important to “crush all fishing and shrimping were an important facet of low-country your eggshells, to make your hens lay life, more people farmed than fished well.” Apparently, crushed eggshells continued on page 62

2000

FARMERS’

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fool chickens into laying replacement eggs for the broken ones. “Pick your hot red peppers under the high noon sun and you'll have a warm kitchen full of friendship and fun,” is one way to be sure to bring some of summer’s heat inside and save it for winter in the form of strings of dried peppers. Winter in the low country is not bad,, but it can sting. Old folks knew that, “when persimmons bloom twice, it’s : making food for God’s creatures.” So many animals depend on persimmons that evidence of a heavy crop was a sign of a hard winter coming. In the sandy coastal plain soil, finding a place for a good well was difficult. Fortunately, “sweet water flows where the yellow jessamine grows,” and so this brightly blooming evergreen vine was believed to be a sure guide to a good well. You wouldn’t want a well under a live oak though, because “oak is hard, just like iron, from the hard water that can be found there.” In times of drought, residents would keep watch for signs of rain. It was well known that “mourning doves that coo at night will bring water before daylight.” This earned them the low-country nickname of rain crow. “There’s always something to see around here; you just have to learn how to look,” Captain Sandy noted, before recalling trawler Captain Mead Morrison, who planted this seed of appreciation in him long ago. Needing to calm his anxious crew, including Sandy, on a day of increasingly unsettled weather, Captain Morrison declared loudly, “Isn’t it wonderful that we are here to have this weather.” “That about sums up the way I feel about the low country,” declares Captain Sandy. “Even on a bad day, it beats being anywhere else.”

62

| What did the fish say wien he hit a concrete walle Dam.

What do prisoners use to. calleach other?

Cellphones.

oh

What do you calla boomerang that doesn’t work?| Astick,

| What liesatthe ae

|

ocean and twitches?

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAG

FAVORITE ITE TOMBSTONE .

_ ie

———_——

1754-1797.

KATE SMITH

Here lies the remains of old Aunt Kate, Beautiful children she had eight. She might have had more, But now it’s too late.

Emergency \ |Substitutions

Test Your Wildlife Knowledge Answers 1. False, it’s actually 3.5 percent. 2. True 3. False, it has four. 4. True 5. True 6. False, they’re actually fertilized while within the female’s body. 7. False 8. False 9. False 10. False 11. True 12. True 13. True 14. True 15. True

1 tablespoon cornstarch = 2 tablespoons flour

Puzzles & Brainteasers Answers

1 square of chocolate (1 02.) = 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter 1 whole egg = 2 egg yolks 1 cup sour milk=1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus sweet milk to make 1 cup 1 cup milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water

HOW .CAN THIS BE? On the face of a clock; 11:00 plus two hours

Measurements -- 20 salted crackers = 1 cup fine crumbs 12 graham crackers = 1 cup fine crumbs Juice of 1 lemon = 3 to 4 tablespoons Grated peel of 1 lemon = 1 teaspoon 1 medium onion, chopped = 1/2 cup 1/4 Ib. celery (2 stalks), chopped = 1 cup 1 |b. process cheese, grated, shredded = 4 cups

12 to 14 egg yolks = 1 cup 1 8to 10 egg whites = 1 cup 1/4 |b. walnuts, chopped = 1 cup i2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

equals 1:00.

TENNIS ANYONE? The two women were partners, playing doubles. WHAT’S THE NUMBER? One thousand NAME THE PALINDROME 1. rotator 2. kayak 3. level 4. pup 5. noon 6. deed 7. radar 8. sexes 9. civic 10. redder A TRICKY ONE Just one word. WORD THINKER Nowhere ... Now Here THE NEPHEW The boy was the sister’s son. NUMBER PROGRESSION 8, because 7x7=49, 4x9=36, 3x6=18, 1x8=8

63

By Richard Lederer

Contributing editor

vee

La ughable

DIVIDENDS24

from the STOCK

MARKET

These days, Asian and Russian financial infrastructures are detonating, and world markets are shaken by the impact. Amidst the economic chaos of global ticker tapes, a bit ¢ tickle tape might help to brighten our outlook. Let’s have a look at the current financial scene. I’ve stitched together and embroidered these reports from various items floating around the Internet.

Wall Street was once again rocked by bad news on the stock market today: @ Helium was up, feathers fluttered and were ultimately down. Knives were up sharply. Pencils lost a few points. Elevators rose, while escalators continued their slow decline. Weights were up in heavy trading. @ The market for raisins dried up. Coca Cola fizzled. Caterpillar stock inched up a bit. Sun peaked at midday. Balloon prices were inflated. Fluorescent tubing dimmed in light trading. Paper stocks were stationary. Cows steered into a bull market. Hiking equipment was trailing the leaders. Light switches were off. Mining equipment was rocky. Rockets soared, but went into free fall. Electric blenders were shaky. @ Shipping lines stayed at an even keel. Batteries exploded in an attempt to recharge the market. Diapers touched a new bottom, and then remained unchanged.

64

@ The condition of the Japanese banking infrastructure is even worse. According to inside contacts, the Japanese banking crisis shows no signs of ameliorating: Analysts report that there is something fishy going on at Sushi Bank, and the staff there fear they may get a raw deal. Following last week’s news that Origami Bank had folded, we are hearing that Sumo Bank has gone beily up and Bonsai Bank plans to cut back some of its branches. Karaoke

Bank is up for sale and is (you guessed it!) going for a song. Worst of all, shares in Kamikaze Bank are plummeting and going down in flames. All this darksome financial news has spurred a number of gigantic mergers.

@ Luvs Diapers has acquired Hertz Rent-A-Car and has chosen for its new

corporate identity the name Luv Hertz.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

@ W. R. Grace Co. has acquired the Fuller Brush Co., Mary Kay Cosmetics and Hale Business

Brothers and Keebler. The new corporate entity is Poly-Warner-Cracker. @ 3M’s merger with Goodyear Tire Systems. The new megacorporate en- & Rubber is causing everyone to ex|. tity is now known as... Hale Mary claim, “mmmGood!” Fuller Grace. B Acomplex joining of Zippo @ Knott's Berry Farm is now partners Lighters with Audi Automobiles and with the National Organization of ¢ Dofasco and Dakota Mining has got Women, generating the new name, everyone singing the new name: Zip Knott NOW. , Audi Do Da. @ Fairchild Electronics has merged ‘ Mi Schlage Lock Company, Charles with Honeywell Computers. Lo, the Schwab Investments and the ~ new corporation is named Fairwell - Container Stores have become a giant Honeychild. conglomerate, and you can now own shares in this company: Lock, Stock i A brand new three-way partnership and Barrel. includes Polygram Records, Warner

‘2000 FARMERS’

ALMANAC

65

WHY DO

WE “LEAP”

FEBRUARY

TUESDAY

THIS YEAR? ecause 2000 is a leap year, you’ll be enjoying

one extra day—February 29th. But did you ever wonder why we have leap days and years? The “why” has to do with trying to get the calendar year to equal the astronomical year. Leap days and years date back to Julius Caesar, in 46 BC. At that time, Caesar ordered the calendar be 365 days in length and contain 12 months. Days were added to various months to bringthe total from 354 to 365. Considering the fact that the seasons do not repeat every 365 days, but actually 365.2422, the calendar ended about one-quarter day early. After every fourth year, it would have been one full day in error. se To make up for the error, every fourth year had an extra day J added to February. According to this change, any year os evenly divisible by four was a leap year, which made the average length of the calendar 365.25 days. However, that correction made the year 11 minutes and 14 seconds too long; after 128 years, the calendar was ending a full day later than the astronomical year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XII stepped in and ordered yet another correction to the calendar. This change produced the Gregorian Calendar, which we use today. The reform stated that century years not evenly divisible by 400 would not be leap years. Thus, 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 is. This made the average length of the calendar 365.244 days and reduced the calendar error to only one day in 3322 years. Our modern calendar is a refined Gregorian calendar. To obtain still greater accuracy, it has been decided to make years that are equally divisible by 4000, NONLEAP YEARS. By doing so, the Gregorian Calendar’s accuracy improves even more —with this new adjustment, our calendar will lose only a single day over a time span of 20,000 years. BUT WHY DO WE “LEAP”? Common (non-leap) years are composed of es an exact number of weeks (52) plus one day. This extra day means that if your birthday falls on a Tuesday in one common year, it will fall on a Wednesday the next common year and so on. However, a leap year changes this scenario. A leap year is comprised of 52 weeks plus two days. So, ifyour birthday fell on a Wednesday last year, in a leap year, it “leaps” over Thursday and lands on a Friday. Thus, the name “leap year.” Leaps occur throughout the period from the March 1after a leap year’s February 29 through the following February 28. So use this extra day wisely this year ... propose marriage ... starta tradition ... or lend a helping hand to someone in need. After all, we'll have to wait another four years before we can experience February 29 again. 66

:

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC a

ECLIPSES

IN 2000

Eastern Standard Time

I. January 20-21 — Total Eclipse of the Moon.

SAU SC

’ The first total lunar eclipse readily accessible from the Americas since September 1996. In fact, the overall viewing circumstances of this event will be somewhat similar to the lunar eclipse of

November 28-29, 1993. The beginning of the umbral phase is visible from the western half of Asia, all of Africa, Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Americas, Antarctica’s Palmer Peninsula and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The end of the umbral phaseis visible from most of Europe (except eastern portions), the western third of Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, the Americas, Hawaii, Antarctica’s Palmer Peninsula and all but the westernmost portions of the Pacific Ocean. The Moon will track through the southern part of - the umbra and totality will last 78 minutes. The magnitude of this eclipse is 1.330, which means that at its deepest phase the northern edge of the Moon will be closest to the outer rim of the umbra _ -by roughly 713 miles.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ECLIPSE: Moon enters umbra 10:01 p.m. (Jan. 20) Total eclipse begins 11:04 p.m. (Jan. 20); Deepest eclipse 11:44 p.m. (Jan. 20) Total eclipse ends 12:22 a.m. (Jan. 21); Moon leaves umbra 1:26 a.m. (Jan. 21)

II. February 5 — Partial Eclipse of the Sun. The land region with visibility of this eclipse is entirely in Antarctica. The greatest eclipse, with the Moon covering 57.9 percent of the Sun’s diameter, will occur with the Sun sitting on the northern horizon, roughly a few hundred miles inland from PortMartin, in Terre Adelie (within the Antarctic French Sector).

_ Penguins take note!

-

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ECLIPSE: Eclipse begins 5:56 a.m. | Greatest eclipse 7:49 a.m.; Eclipse ends 9:43 a.m.

| IMM. July 1— Partial Eclipse of the Sun. | The land region with visibility of this eclipse is in the southernmost sections of Chile and Argentina (Patagonia), generally to the south of a line running from Golfo de Arauco (Chile) to Golfo |San Matias (Argentina). The greatest eclipse, with the Moon covering 47.6 percent of the Sun’s diameter, will occur with the Sun | sitting on the northern horizon in the Bellingshausen Sea, roughly a few hundred miles offshore from Antarctica’s Thurston Island.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ECLIPSE: Eclipse begins 1:07 p.m. Greatest eclipse 2:32 p.m.; Eclipse ends 3:58 p.m. Continued on page 68

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

67

ECLIPSES

IN 2000:

Eastern Standard Time

IV. July 16 — Total Eclipse of the Moon. On this date, the Moon turns full within 35 minutes of its arrival at the descending node of its orbit, leading to a near-central crossing of the Earth’s shadow. Also, since the Moon will arrive at apogee (its farthest distance from Earth-252,500 miles) approximately 22 hours before full, it will be moving at nearly its slowest speed in its orbit. The net result of these circumstances will be the absolute maximum duration for the total phase of any lunar eclipse-107 minutes. Not until the 22nd century (June 9, 2123) will there bea total lunar eclipse that will again attain this extreme duration. The beginning of the umbral phase will be visible from the western third of North America and extreme southern sections of South America, Antarctica, Hawaii, the Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, eastern and southeastern sections of Asia and the eastern half of the Indian Ocean. The end of the umbral phase is visible from Hawaii, the central and westernmost Aleutian Islands, the central and western Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica (except for the Palmer Peninsula), most of Asia (except western and extreme northern portions), the Indian Ocean and the eastern quarter of Africa. The Moon will track just to the north of the center of the umbra. The magnitude of this eclipse is 1.773, which means that at its deepest phase the northern edge of the Moon will be closest to the outer rim of the umbra by roughly 1,670 miles. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ECLIPSE: Moon enters umbra 6:57 a.m.; Total eclipse begins 8:02 a.m. Deepest eclipse 8:56 a.m.; Total eclipse ends 9:49 a.m.; Moon leaves umbra 10:54 a.m.

V. July 30 — Partial Eclipse of the Sun. The land region with visibility of this very rare second solar eclipse in July includes Northeast Europe, Northern Russia, the north polar regions, northwestern portions of Canada, the northern half of Greenland and northwestern and western portions of the contiguous United States near local sunset. The greatest eclipse, with the Moon covering 60.3 percent of the Sun’s diameter, will occur with the Sun sitting on the southern horizon over the Davis Strait between Greenland and Baffin Island. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ECLIPSE: Eclipse begins 7:37 p.m.; Greatest eclipse 9:13 p.m.; Eclipse ends 10:49 p.m.

VI. December 25 — Partial Eclipse of the Sun. The final solar eclipse of the 20th century is a Christmas gift for most North Americans. Indeed, the land region with visibility is primarily North America, with the following exceptions: Alaska, the far northern regions of Canada, the northern three-quarters of Greenland, Panama, Costa Rica and extreme southern Nicaragua. This eclipse will also be visible from the Caribbean, the Azores and the Guajira Peninsula of Colombia. The greatest eclipse, with the Moon covering 72.3 percent of the Sun’s diameter, will occur with the Sun sitting on the southern horizon near Nettilling Lake on Canada’s Baffin Island. Sky watchers across central and eastern Canada, the Great Lakes, northern New York state and central and northern New England will see at least 60 percent of the Sun’s diameter covered by the passing new Moon. Approximately 40 percent coverage will occur for the Northern Plains and Central and Eastern States. Much of the Southwest, the South Central States and Florida will see roughly 20 percent coverage, while less than 20 percent of the Sun is eclipsed for southwest Arizona and central and southern California. 68

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

ECLIPSES

IN 2000

Eastern Standard Time

The solar eclipse of December 25, 2000, is likely to receive considerable media coverage, because afairly large percentage of the Sun will be eclipsed and seen from

many locations in North America, and because this eclipse will be the final eclipse of the 20th century. Here’s a special chart that gives you more precise times (for 15 North American cities) to look to the sky and view this eclipse.

From this listing, it may be possible—by way of interpolation-to obtain circumstances for other locations. For the exact times and other details concerning your specific area, check your newspapers and local broadcasts as the eclipse draws near. One important word of warning—be very, VERY careful to follow the precautions for

eclipse viewing! NEVER look at even a tiny bit of the Sun’s disc unless you are usinga proper filtration device like #14 welder’s glass or aluminized Mylar plastic to -_ protect your eyes! You'll get all the safety tips from the papers-OBSERVE them!

Chant conn Cesta Location

Timé Zone

Eclipse Starts

Maximum

wai

Atlanta

10:53 a.m.

12:25 p.m.

44.6

Boston

Ul5am.

12:52pm.

57.6

Chicago

CST

9:45 a.m.

11:17 a.m.

54.8

Dallas

CST

9:38 a.m.

10:57 a.m.

Sb

Denver

MST

829am.

9:44am.

39.0

PST

7:37 a.m.

8:23 a.m.

15.2

EST

11:11 a.m.

12:38 p.m.

31.9

11:09am.

12:47pm.

55.9

7:27 a.m.

8:29 a.m.

36.9

9:42 a.m.

11:11 a.m.

49.2

LosAngeles

Miami

New York Seattle St. Louis

RRM)

% Coverage’ —_ Eclipse Ends

- CHRISTMAS ECLIPSE: CIRCUMSTANCES FOR SELECTED CANADIAN CITIES

AST

12:31 p.m.

2:05 p.m.

58.1

3:31 p.m.

Montreal

EST

11:09 a.m.

12:45 p.m.

61.4

2:18 p.m.

‘Toronto

EST

10:58 a.m.

12:34 p.m.

59.3

2:10 p.m.

PST

7:28 a.m.

8:31 a.m.

38.9

9:40 a.m.

CST

9:37 a.m.

11:02 a.m.

59.0

12:32 p.m.

Halifax

Vancouver Winnipeg

*Denotes percent of Sun’s diameter that is covered and should not be confused with percent of total disc area.

| - 2000

FARMERS’

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69

THE

PLANETS

IN 2000

MORNING STARS

EVENING STARS

MERCURY JAN 1 to JAN 15 MAR 1 to MAY 8

MERCURY JAN 16 to FEB 29 MAY 9 to JUL 5

VENUS MARS JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE

VENUS JUN 11 to DEC 31 MARS JAN 1toJUN 30 JUPITER JAN 1 to MAY 7 NOV 27 to DEC 31 SATURN JAN 1 to MAY 9 NOV 19 to DEC 31 URANUS JAN 1 to FEB 5 AUG 11 to DEC 31 NEPTUNE JAN 1 to JAN 23 JUL 27 to DEC 3i

JUL 6 to AUG 21 OCT 30 to DEC 24

JAN 1 to JUN 10 JUL1 to DEC 31 MAY 8 to NOV 26 MAY 10 to NOV 18 FEB 6 to AUG 10 JAN 24 to JUL 26

AUG 22 to OCT 29 DEC. 25 to DEC 31

FAINT OR INVISIBLE

MERCURY Except for brief

VENUS MARS JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO

periods around the dates listed below. APR 16 to AUG 4 MAY 9 to AUG 18 APR 19 to MAY 13 APR 23 to MAY 28 JAN 22 to FEB 21 JAN 8 to FEB 8 All year

BRIGHTEST OR BEST SEEN & MERCURY MORNINGS: Eastern sky about an hour before sunrise. March 8 to April 23, July 15 to August

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: A brilliant “star” with a silvery-white luster. SPECIAL: Jupiter will engage in a rare con5, November 6 to November 25. junction with Saturn on the morning of May EVENINGS: Western sky about an hour after 31. It will also be involved in an unusual “triple sunset. February 6 to February 20, May 21 to conjunction” with the bright orange star June 23, September 7 to October 20. Aldebaran during 2000-2001, with the first two BRIGHTEST: Evenings February 6 to February series coming on August 29 and October 28. 20. Mornings November 6 to November 25. h SATURN WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Usually appears as a MORNINGS: May 29 to November 18. bright “star” with a yellowish or ochre hue. EVENINGS: January 1 to April 22, November © VENUS 19 to December 31. ~ MORNINGS: Eastern sky at dawn January 1 BRIGHTEST: Early November to early to April 15. December. EVENINGS: Western sky at dusk August 5 to WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Yellowish-white “star” December 31. of moderate brightness. The famous rings are BRIGHTEST: Evening sky December 31. visible only through a telescope. WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Brilliant “star” that 6 URANUS shines with a steady, silvery light. MORNINGS: February 21 to August 10. O' MARS EVENINGS: January 1 to January 21, August MORNINGS: August 19 to December 31. 11 to December 31. EVENINGS: January 1 to May 8. W NEPTUNE BRIGHTEST: Evening sky January 1. MORNINGS: February 8 to July 26. WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Ayellow-orange hue EVENINGS: January 1 to January 7, that varies in brightness. July 27 to December 31. 2| JUPITER P PLUTO MORNINGS: May 29 to November 26. Will not be visible in 2000. EVENINGS: January 1 to April 18, *Note: Between May 9 and May 13, all five November 27 to December 31. naked-eye planets are effectively hidden from BRIGHTEST: Mid-November to midour view due to their proximity to the Sun December. (all combust).

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2000 FARMERS’

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| Wuat ARE METEORS & METEOR SHOWERS? Meteors, more commonly referred to | as “falling” or “shooting” stars, are metal| . lic or stony particles which become visible when they plunge through our atmosphere. Though 100 million or

celestial fireworks, but these meteor “storms” are rare, occurring at best, only several times per century. Very bright meteors are termed fireballs. Ifa solid object reaches the ground, it is called a meteorite. They | more strike our atmosphere every 24 | hours, those larger than dust particles vary from bits hardly larger than dust particles to chunks weighing tons. are usually vaporized long before they can ever get close to the Earth’s surface. | Best Way To View Meteors. The best way to watch for meteors is The average meteor is oe to to find a place with a clear view of the weigh ().0005 ounce. sky and arrange for deck chairs or some Meteors may be seen on iat any other comfortable rest. Warm clothing clear night, though they are more comand a blanket—even in summer—are mon in the hours after midnight. A sinadvisable. Another factor to consider is gle observer, far from bright lights with { an unobstructed view of the sky, can usu- bright moonlight, which can considerably cut into the potential number of - ally see about 6 or 7 per hour. When the meteors that might be seen. Ifa gibbous | arth’s orbit intersects a meteor stream, or full Moon is present during your --ameteor “shower” is said to be in meteor watch, it will generally obliterate | progress. Occasionally, stupendous all but the very brightest of meteors. | meteor displays can fill the sky with

Best Dates and Times to View Meteor Showers The following table lists some of the best-known meteor showers. Ifyour location observes daylight saving time, add one hour to “best time.” Times given are listed in Eastern Standard Time.

| Ursids

January 3-4 April 21-22 May 4-5 July 28-29 August 11-13 October 21-22 November 2-4 November 12-14 November 17-18 December 13-14 December 22-23

‘2000 FARMERS’

ALMANAC

|

Quadrantids Lyrids

} Eta Aquarids | Delta Aquarids | Perseids Orionids South Taurids North Taurids | Leonids

| Geminids

Northeast 4 to 6 am Overhead 2 to 4 am Southeast 2 to 4 am South 1 to 3 am Northeast 2 to 4 am South 2 to 4 am South 1 to 3 am South 12 to 2 am $/Southeast 4 to 6 am Overhead 1 to 3 am North all night

i Swift streaks Very swift, long paths Slow, long paths Very swift, rich annual display Swift streaks Very slow, bright Slow fireballs Very swift Medium, white; a rich display Medium

Farmers’? ALMANAC

GLOSSARY OFTERMS Aph./Aphelion-The point at which a letter is A; and so on to G when the body in an elliptical orbit around the . first Sunday is Jan. 7. Should the year in question bea leap year, the letter Sun is at its greatest distance from the Sun. Earth is in aphelion in early July. , applies only through the month of February andthen takes the letter Apo./Apogee-The point at which a . before. body moving in an elliptical orbit Eclipse, Annular—Is when a solar around the Earth is at its greatest diseclipse occurs with the apparent size tance from the Earth. Ascending Node-tThe point of the of the New Moon marginally smaller Moon’s (or planet’s) orbit at which it than that of the Sun. As a result, the crosses, from south to north, the plane rim of the Sun’s disc remains visible of the Earth’s orbit extended to meet around the dark disc of the Moon. the celestial body. §2 Eclipse, Lunar—When the Moon Combust—When the Moon, star or passes into the Earth’s shadow. planet is not visible due to its proximiEclipse, Solar—When the New Moon ty to the Sun. orbits between the Earth and the Sun Conjunction—-The alignment or close and casts its shadow upon the Earth’s alignment of two or more astronomical surface. bodies. of Ecliptic—The Sun’s apparent path Cl./Close-—Used in this Almanac to among the constellations. define a conjunction. Example: El./Elongation—Apparent angular Saturn/Moon cl. ev., means that distance of amember ofthe Solar Saturn and the Moon are close (or in System from the Sun as seen from the conjunction) in the evening. Earth. 3 Declination-The angular distance to Epact-The Moon’s age in the lunar a specific point on the celestial sphere, cycle at the beginning of each solar measured in degrees either north or year, which begins on January 1, at south from the celestial equator in a 0h 00m Greenwich Mean Time. The direction perpendicular to the point. Moon’s age cannot exceed 29 days; Descending Node-The point at however, whenit is less than one day which the Moon’s (or planet’s orbit) old, the Epact iis considered to be 30 crosses, from north to south, the plane and not zero. of the Earth’s orbit extended to meet Evening Star—A term that is applied the celestial body. 28 to any planet when the planet is visible Dionysian Period—Named for the in the evening sky and crosses the monk Dionysius Exiguus who, in the meridian before midnight. A.D. 500’s, introduced the present cusGolden Number-—After a period of tom of reckoning time by counting the 235 lunar months or 19 years, the years from the birth of Christ. The cur- phases of the Moon recur in the same rent Dionysian Period began on order and on the same dates as the January 1, 1672. preceding cycle. The Golden Number Dominical Letter-Used in reckoning is used in reckoning civil calendars civil calendars. It is determined by the and represents the year’s position in date on which the first Sunday of the this 19-year cycle. year falls. If January 1 is a Sunday, the

a2

2000

FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Gr. El./Greatest Elongation—When a planet attains its greatest apparent se distance from the Sun in the sky. Inf./Inferior—Inferior conjunction is _when an “inferior planet’ (Mercury or Venus) passes between the Earth and the Sun.

Jewish Lunar Cycle—Similar to the

19-year cycle upon which the Golden , Number is based. Julian Period—Devised in 1582 by Joseph Scaliger as a way to measure time. Scaliger had Julian Day JD) #1, named after his father, Julius Scaliger, which began at noon on January 1, 4713 B.C., the most recent time that three major chronological cycles began on the same day-1) the 28-year solar cycle; 2) the 19-year lunar cycle; 3) the 15-year indication cycle used in ancient Rome to regulate taxes. It will take 7,980 Julian years to complete the period, the product of 28, 19 and 15. Mer./Meridian—A great circle on the celestial sphere passing through the north and south celestial poles and the zenith (overhead point) of a given place. Moon Highest or Lowest-The day of the month that the Moon appears at

its highest or lowést point on the meridian. Moon highest A Moon lowest UY ~Moon’s Southing—Also known as the Moon’s “Meridian Passage” or “Upper Culmination.” It’s when the Moon appears exactly above the south point of the observer's local horizon. Morning Star—A term that applies to any planet when it is visible in the morning sky and crosses the meridian after midnight. Occ./Occultation —An eclipse of a

star or planet by the Moon or another

planet. Opposition -The position of an astronomical object when it is opposite the

- 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Sun in the sky, and as a consequence, crosses the meridian at midnight. .° Per./Perigee-The point at which a body moving in an elliptical orbit around the Earth is at its closest approach to the Earth. Peri./Perihelion-The point at which a body in an elliptical orbit around the Sun is at its closest distance to the Sun. Earth is at perihelion in early January. Roman Indiction-A 15-year cycle used in reckoning ecclesiastical calendars. It was established in ancient Rome on January 1, 313 A.D. asa fiscal term to regulate taxes. In order to figure out the Roman Indictions, add 3 to the number of years in the Christian era and divide by 15. The remainder of the year is Roman Indiction—no remainder is 15. : Solar Cycle—A 28-year cycle used in reckoning civil calendars. At the end of the cycle, it restores the first day of the year to the same day of the week. Tears of Saint Laurence—During the 19th century, Irish farmers, as well as Catholics in England and Germany, noted an annual shower of shooting stars around the night of the Feast of St. Laurence (August 10 on the Catholic calendar). Today, the display is better known as the Perseid Meteors. Zodiac-—Greek, zéon, “animal” (all but one of the twelve Zodiacal constellations represent living creatures); the circular zone on the celestial sphere, centered on the ecliptic and extending in width to about 9 degrees on either side. Within this zone the motion of the visible planets, the Sun and the Moon take place. It is divided into twelve zones, each 30 degrees long, called the signs of the Zodiac. It was (and still is) highly regarded in astrology.

73

If you have a weather-related question for Caleb, write to: Caleb’s Comets, Farmers’ Almanac, P.O. Box 1609, Lewiston, ME 04241.

Or E-mail: [email protected]. Not all questions will be published; however, all will be answered.

Dear Caleb, i What does it mean when you see a rainbow around e ‘Moon? What you saw was a halo (or at least part of a halo). Itis caused by the Moon shining througha layer of ice crystal clouds (cirroform) located at altitudes above 25,000 feet. The ice crystals act as tiny prisms which refract (bend) the Moon’s light into a circle and tint that circle with faint rainbow colors. When you properly block out the dazzling light of the Sun, you can see the same effect during the daytime.

Since cirroform clouds generally are the forerunners of weather disturbances, in most (though not all) cases, a halo around the Sun or Moon is followed about 18 to 24 hours later by low clouds and precipitation. Dear Caleb, Is December 21st really the shortest day of the year? Actually, there are two answers to this question .. . each with alittle twist. The day that has the shortest amount of daylight is the day of the winter solstice. For mid-northern latitudes, for example, the Sun is in the sky for only about 9 hours. Depending on the year, this date can vary. It comes on either December 21 or 22. The shortest day of the year, however, comes on that day we turn our clocks forward to go on Daylight Saving Time. Currently, this happens on the first Sunday in April. By pushing the clock forward (we're supposed to do it “officially” at 2 a.m., thus 2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m.), we are subtracting an hour from the day. Therefore, that day is only 23 hours in length. That means one less hour, perhaps, of sleep. Hey ... it’s “hour” loss .. Dear Caleb, What causes frost and why don’t we see any during the day? To have frost form the following three things must occur: 1) the surface on which the frost forms must be at the temperature of 32° F or below. 2) conditions must be calm, with little or no wind present. 3) the surface temperature must efficiently cool air to its dew point. While the first two conditions can readily occur both day oan night, itis difficult to achieve the third condition during daylight hours because of the heating by the Sun. At night, when it’s dark, temperatures can fall (especially under a clear sky) to the dew point. If the temperature is above 32° F, dew will form. If the temperature falls below 32° F, frost will form. Dew and frost usually form after several hours of darkness. 74

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

}

Newspaper

looper

1983 TOYOTA HUNCHBACK v ~ AMANA WASHER ... OWNED BY CLEAN BACHELOR WHO SELDOM WASHED Vv SNOW BLOWER FOR SALE ... ONLY USED ON SNOWY DAYS W

FREE: 1 CAN OF CHICKEN SOUP WITH PURCHASE OF 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATH HOME v FREE PUPPIES: 1/2 COCKER SPANIEL, 1/2 SNEAKY NEIGHBOR DOG Vv OPEN HOUSE: BODY SHAPERS TONING SALON: FREE COFFEE & DONUTS

TRIVIA

TESTERS

The longest river in the world is the Nile, followed closely by the Amazon.

Did you know that the average koala bear sleeps about 22 hours a day?

kkex*

As of 1998, the youngest person to take the prestigious position of the U.S. presidency was Theodore Roosevelt. He was 42 years old at his inauguration. Next youngest was John F. Kennedy, who was 43. kkk

The oldest person to become president was Ronald Reagan. He was 69 at his inauguration day. f

kkk

Believe it or not, the quahog (clam) can live up to 200 years. kKkK*

The Pacific Ocean is not only the largest ocean, but also the deepest. kkk

The highest mountain in North America is Mt. McKinley at 20,320 feet.

MATH TRICK Grab a calculator and try this math trick. Put in the number that corresponds with the month you were born in (Jan.=1, Feb.=2, etc.). Multiply it by 20, then add 3 and

multiply that by 5. Add the date of your birth. Multiply by 20 again, add 3, then multiply by 5. Now add the year you were born (00 through 99), and subtract 1515. You'll be left with your birthdate—month, day, year.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

(nee

75

HEAT

INDEX

TABLE

—

(APPARENT TEMPERATURES) Relative Humidity (%) 20%

30%

40%

Oe =a=

|

aa a oe ee

Air (°F) Temperature

80° to 90° Fatigue possible with prolonged

105° to 130° Sunstroke, heat cramps, or

exposure and physical activity. 90° to 105° Sunstroke, heat cramps and

heat exhaustion likely.Heatstroke possible with prolonged exposure and physical activity. -

heat exhaustion possible with prolonged

130° and higher Heatstroke or sunstroke

exposure and physical activity.

imminent.

WIND

CHILL

TABLE

Dry Bulb Temperature 45°

40°

+«35°

30°

25°

20°

15°

10°

a

or 5

(°F) -10°

-15° -20°

[4 a7[105[13[20 sale]x/+[s[ sar

Speed Wind (MPH)

ERS 20°

-25° 30°

=90°

ye past activities on

overcast days. 76

;

No longer

Freezing of

Outdoor travel

pleasant exposed skin dangerous. He Nene = oe rec a activities on ||on thedegreeof | |can freeze inless sunny days.

fi :

than 1 minute.

sed

cki

oe

within half a minute.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Deer & Bear Deterrents

PSE

Last year, we published a deer deterrent tip:

US

bars of hand soap in perforated plastic bags hung

me)

on posts around the perimeter of your garden. We

Easetotaceam iris

also asked you for other tips. Well, Stanley Taydus | January

20th 11:40 p.m.

shared the following hint with us:

19th 11:26 a.m.

“The around method method

February

1999 Almanac hasa tip to use soap hung the garden to keep deer out. I have used this with success, however, be advised that this should not be used anywhere there are black

bears. The soap will attract the bears to the garden. This is a lesson I learned the hard way, by losing about

four bushels of tomatoes two summers ago.

March April May ~ June

19th 11:44 p.m. 18th 12:41 p.m. 18th 2:34am. 16th 5:27pm

Jul

955 = y

eee

August = th 1212 am.

What works as both a deer and bear deterrent are September white flags made from old sheets. I hang them around October the garden. The deer apparently see these as warnings.” | November Thanks Stanley! December

13th 2:36 p.m. LBth 353 a.m. llth 4:14 p.m.

Ith 4:02am.

= How Our Weather (\ Forecasts Are Made Our weather forecasts are made by “Caleb 3\| Weatherbee” by means of a long-standing (and WW) secret) formula which goes back in the early 1800s, when the Farmers’ Almanac.

was found-

s ed. The very first weather prognostications were made by David Young, the Almanac’s first editor. 1 In this formula, many factors are taken into consideration: Sunspots, Moon Phases, etc. It has been passed from calculator to calculator and has never been revealed. The formula itself is locked in the heart and mind of its calculator.

WHAT?’S

AN

ECLIPSE?

ECLIPSE-The total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by

another. LUNAR ECLIPSE —When the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. Because the Moon shines only by reflected sunlight, the Moon will gradually darken as it enters the shadow.

SOLAR ECLIPSE —Or eclipse of the Sun, occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, blocking your view of the Sun. ANNULAR ECLIPSE—Is when a solar eclipse occurs with the apparent size of the New Moon marginally smaller than that of the Sun. As a result, the rim of the Sun’s disc remains visible around the dark disc of the Moon. PENUMBRAL ECLIPSE-—Is when the Moon moves into the lighter, outer (penumbral) shadow of the Earth. This eclipse is hard to spot unless theMoon moves more than 70% into the penumbral shadow.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

77

EXPLANATION

OF THE

CALENDAR

PAGES

local mean time (LMT), which differs from ll events listed on the calendar pages ordinary clock time by many minutes at are plotted to an accuracy of approximost locations. Our civil time zones are mately one minute, and computed for the standardized on particular longitudes: sea horizon for the rising and setting of the Examples in North America are: upper limb of the Sun and Moon. In addiEastern—75° west; Central-90° west; tion, allowance has been made for the . Mountain—105° west; Pacific—120° west. effects of astronomical refraction. Local If your longitude is very close to one of conditions, such as the difference between these, luck is with you and this correction is your latitude and those of the calendar zero. pages (35° and 45° north), as well as the character of your local horizon will add ‘To get standard time add four minutes uncertainties of up to five minutes. ; to times listed on the calendar page for each The times for the rising and setting of the degree of longitude that you are west of Sun and Moon are calculated for an observyour time zone meridian. Or subtract four er at 75° west longitude and either 35° or 45° minutes for each degree you are east of north latitude. However, simple corrections it. Look up your longitude on a map. will allow you to obtain sufficient accuracy: Example: Boston, Massachusetts (longito all places in the contiguous zones indicated by the headings of the divisions. tude 71°) is 4 degrees east of the Eastern time meridian. So, in Boston, subtract 16 To convert the listed time of an event from minutes to rise and set time obtained from civil to standard (clock) time, the following the calendar pages. The result is Eastern corrections must be made: Standard Time. Daylight Saving Time. If this is in effect

for your region, add one hour to any time obtained from the calendar page. Your longitude. The rise and set times of the Sun and Moon are given in civil or

Find your local correction and commit it to memory; you will use it always. Here are some corrections, in minutes, for selected major cities:

2 CORRECTION FROM ZONE TIME TO LOCAL TIME Bs Ae Mabe totimefound 4in

as acts aloes me)

2000

ee

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

The Moon rises and sets roughly two minutes later for each time zone west of Eastern time (0 minutes for Eastern, 2 minutes Central, 4 minutes Mountain and 6 minutes for Pacific). _ RISING AND SETTING

MOONRISE AND MOONSET.

CORRECTIONS. Times of rising and setting need correction if your latitude differs from the -_ two divisions. The times of the rising and setting of the Sun and Moon are given for latitudes 35 and 45 degrees respectively. To obtain more precision. for other latitudes, a more exact time can be obtained by interpolation and extrapolation. RISE, SET AND CULMINATION TIMES FOR STARS, MOON AND PLANETS. These are found on the wide columns of the calendar pages and are calculated for 35 and 45 degrees north latitude. Morning , “a.m.” is from midnight to noon and evening “p.m.” from noon to midnight. As with the rising and setting times of the

Sun and Moon, use the correction table to convert zone time

to local time in order to obtain a greater degree of accuracy. This rule also pertains to culmination or meridian passage ~ (“mer.”) time of a given object, for the Moon’s Southing or Meridian passage.

Determining moonrise and moonset is similar to sunrise and sunset, except an additional correction factor must be added. This is because the Moon’s rapid orbital motion alters the lunar rising and setting times slightly if your longitude differs from 75 degrees west.

MOON COLUMN. Times in the Moon rises/sets column are given only for hours of darkness, with the time shown being the first moon event visible on that date. Rising times change to

setting times (and vice versa)

after sunset on or close to New

Moon (sets) and Full Moon (rises). When “morn.” appears,

no moon rise or set occurs: the next Moon event is in the early morning of the following date.

TWILIGHT AND Ist Month

31

Jays

LENGTH OF DAYS. Across the calen-

RSs. eS Capricorn

quarius

MOON'S PHASES Eastern Time

@ NewMoon

Gh

1:13pm.

‘DFirstQuarter Mth 8:34am, © FullMoon

20th 1140pm. €LastQuarter 28th 42:56am.

‘hour(s) forothertimezones

= CST, =2hforMST.~BhforPST: Day; Canopus Tis New Year's a

Jamary 2,2000

light beginning Sunday and calculated for 35 and 45 degrees north lati-

mer. 11:43 p.m.

Scheat sets12:09 a.m.

® atperihelion 1:00 am. poe

Fumalbientects C9 nats apo. 7:00 a.m.

Leori.8:54p. ‘Bay:91 38 am.

nae Ti,12s

See

y

ic Haws

Toesaca.

Miasanarwn FirstSunday afterEpiphany -January 9,2000

Baptism ob ean Job's Coffin sets8:30 p.m. o)clL 437 pm, eee Sspm

Algol mar9:00 p.m. ilmer,7:29|

hsta.

5sup.

AROS eietitel

mer.1231am;)per.600pm.A

Tal crossBelipse ee 11:44 Ui p.m. Regulus mer, 2:08

‘Virgo ri.11:26pm. ©} Regus

4.ThirdSundayafterEpiphany-January 23,2000 Zubenelgenubi ri.1:36am. Alphard mer. 1:16 a.m.

Canis I

Q span

tude. To determine the length of day at other locations, use the methods listed

SevenSisters net er816pm;cisets 835 p.m.

22

dars and even with the Sunday Liturgical Calendar, you will find the average length of day and length of astronomical twi-

PPPRRPR BEEERE z x NOOSA Uy9

ie

1:

earlier to determine sunrise and sunset times for your city. Add 12 hours to the time of sunset, subtract the time of sunrise, and you will have the length of day.

What is twilight? Twilight is caused by

the scattering of sunlight by molecules in the upper tropoJANUARY EVENTS: JANUARY BI sphere or strato1= Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 Paul Revere, Betsy Ross 21 7 — First Presidential Election, 1789 sphere when the Sun 16 — CivilService System established, 1883 24 — Gold discovered in California, 1848 Me is beneath the hori28 — Challenger explodes, 1986 30 - PunkinD.Roosevelt zon. Astronomical morning twilight begins and astronomical evening twilight ends when the Sun is 18 degrees beneath the observer’s horizon. MOON’S PLACE. This indicates the zodiacal conWhen the Sun is more than 18 degrees below the horistellation that the Moon occupies each day at 7:00 zon, the portions of the atmosphere illuminated by a.m. EST, Symbols for each of the twelve zodiacal the Sun are so high (50 miles and higher) that the signs arepresented here. It should be noted here scattered lightis not perceptible. No more lightis that there is a vast and somewhat complex constelreflected and darkness ensues. The reverse occurs lation known as Ophiuchus (the serpent holder) that also reaches into the zodiac, yet is not by tradi- during dawn, Twilight encompasses the entire sky, but the illuminated atmospheric layers are lower and tion counted among the zodiacal signs. Ophiuchus denser in the direction of the Sun, and the resulting is in the same region of the zodiac usually assigned glow is higher. to Scorpius.

2000

FARMERS’

30 | Su |Solaractivity near max.in11-year Si Ses)mer.1000pin; apo, pro. 4 fa i Mo Srius (Dog icy and fidelity FLOWER: Carnation or Snowdrop BIRTHSTONE: Garnet, symbol of

ALMANAC

79

North America’s —

MOST MEMORABLE of the past one hundred years BY

CALEB

WEATHERBEE

riting a “100 Memorable Weather Events” article was both interesting and complicated. On one hand, there was a wealth of events filled with fasci-

nating stories and remarkable weather lore from across the North American continent. On the other hand, suchalist could also

disagreements would almost certainly arise

as to what noteworthy weather event be-

longed, versus what didn’t. Nonetheless, I liked the concept and proceeded to put together our weather list. Our list, however, is not purely of the 20th century. When we began compiling

lead to quite a bit of controversy. My most conservative estimate is that at least one outstanding weather event occurs each

this list in late 1998, the 20th century still had two years to go. Much can happen in the world of weather in two years. Since we month, somewhere in North America. went to press with the 2000 Farmers’ That's at least 1,200 events over the course Almanac at the midpoint of 1999, we of a century. So for every event that would thought it best to start with the year make our list, at least eleven others would 1900—the final year of the 19th century— be discarded. And like so many of the other and run through a one-hundred-year time “top 100” lists that have been published, span, taking us up to the beginning of the

80

2000

FARMERS’ ALMANAC

—

D.... 2000, the final year of the 20th century Unfortunately, many of the events were

our limit of 100. There were numerous hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, snow-

weather disasters, resulting in a loss of life. storms, cold waves, and long spells of opThese events consist of tornadoes, hurripressive heat that were all worthy of mencanes, blizzards, cold waves, thundertion. We're certain that you'll probably . ' storms, ice storms, thick fogs, air pollurecall some memorable weather event— tion, and extreme heat. One of the worst of

these tragedies comes at the very begin-

ning of the list: a hurricane that devastated the city of Galveston, Texas, with a massive

tidal surge that killed 6,000. f We felt that we couldn’t confine our criteria solely to such cataclysmic events. Therefore, not all of the items on our list

deal with tragedy. Some area tribute to the _ innovation of man, such as the 1946 successful seeding of clouds to create precipi-

tation, or the 1960 launch of the very first - weather satellite (TIROS I). Some events were rare atmospheric sky phenomena, like the unusual blue Sun and Moon that appeared for some days over the Northeastern U.S. in late September 1950; the result of an extensive smoke pall caused by Canadian forest fires. Or the

memorable night in November 1966 when, for an hour or so, our upper atmosphere was relentlessly pelted by a storm of cosmic debris, producing a dramatic me_ teor display. In March 1989, an intense injection of subatomic particles into our ionosphere froma solar flare brought forth a dazzling display of northern lights, visible as far south as the tropics. Some events listed are simply weather oddities: the first measurable rain in nearly three years (Bagdad, California, 1912); - accumulating snow in Los Angeles, CA (1932); the strongest wind ever recorded

(231 m.p.h., Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 1934), or a hailstone weigh-

ing in excess of 1 1/2 pounds (Coffeyville, Kansas, 1970).

The toughest job was eliminating many memorable events in order to stay within 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

perhaps even one that you personally experienced—that didn’t make our list. As we noted at the onset, these 100 choices are

purely subjective. Much of the information used to write this article was based on the valuable writings of David Ludlum, America’s premier weather historian, who passed away in May 1997, at the age of 86. Ludlum, who founded the magazine Weatherwise in 1948, was a true meteorological pioneer. Commenting on the extensive changes

that the science of meteorology underwent during his lifetime, in 1984 Ludlum noted: “Meteorology has come a long way, but we still haven’t solved the weather forecast problem. It never will be completely solved, because at the last instant the

weather is always alittle chaotic . . . that’s what makes it interesting.” His many years of collecting extensive weather records, as well as poring over seventeenth- and eighteenth-century newspapers and the crumbling notebooks of amateur observers, eventually resulted in a series of books. Ludlum authored 12 books, including The

American Weather Book in 1982 and The Weather Factor in 1984 (both published by Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston), and The Audubon Society’s Guide to North American Weather in 1991 (Alfred A.

Knopf, New York). If you can’t find these reference works at your local bookstore (or Amazon.com), we urge you to seek them

out in your local library ifyou are the least bit fascinated by the science of weather.

And now, the list... 81

1900 September 8 The Great Hurricane Wave at Galveston, Texas —A severe hurricane tide inundated this island city with up to 15 feet of water; over 6,000 perished; 3,600 houses were destroyed; damage estimated at $30 million.

scured the ability of both ships to see each

€

other. Out of a total of 1,477 aboard, there were 1,024 fatalities.

192 1 January 21 The Great Olympic Blowdown—Winds swept the coastal plain

from central Oregon to southern British Columbia. Sustained speeds of up to 85 1905 June 14 The Heppner (OR) m.p.h.; damage confined to the coastal strip Disaster—Caused by a cloudburst in the hills between the Olympic Mountains and the that sent a flood down Willow Creek in north- « Pacific Ocean. An estimated eight billion ern Oregon; one-third of the town was swept oard feet of timber were destroyed. away; 236 killed; $100 million damage.

November 28-29 Central New England’s

1908 April 24 Tornado Swarm—Killed 155 in Mississippi and 37 in Alabama; greatest losses near Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

1912 May 7 Rain in Bagdad, California The first measurable precipitation for this San Bernardino County community since August 17, 1909—a total of 993 consecutive days!

19 13 March 23 Omaha’s Easter Sunday Tornado—Cut a 5-mile path through Omaha, Nebraska; killed 94 people; did $3.5 million . damage.

July 10 Record Heat—Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, California, reported a temperature of 134°F, regarded as the all-time U.S. maximum.

Worst Ice Storm—Three plus inches of frozen precipitation; Worcester, MA, area paralyzed; 100,000 trees ruined; heavy snow fell to the north. Damage estimated in the millions.

192 5 March 18 The Great Tri-state Tornado—Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana; worst US tornado disaster, with 695 deaths,

including 234 at Murfreesboro, TN, and 126 at West Frankfort, IL; seven other tornadoes the same day raised the death toll to 792:

1926 September 18 The Great Miami (FL) Hurricane—The eye passed over the city with a pressure of 27.61"; winds to 123 m.p.h. for five minutes, 138 m.p.h. for two minutes; tide of 11.7 feet; 372 killed.

November 9 The “Freshwater Fury”

1927 November 3—4 The Great Vermont

A famous storm that swept the Great Lakes; eight large ore carriers went down on Lake Huron, with 200 lives lost; Erie barometer dropped to 28.61"; Buffalo, NY, wind at 62 m.p.h.; 22.2" of snow at Cleveland, OH; 36" at Pickens, WV. Parts of Ontario, Canada, also severely affected.

Flood—A tropical low brought a two-day rain of up to 9", put rivers in western New England over banks; Winooski Valley, VT, devastated; 84 dead in Vermont, 88 in all of New England; -

19 14 March 1 Heavy Wet Snow/High Winds— ‘The worst since ’88,” crippled New York and New Jersey; Asbury Park, NJ, received 24" of snow; New York’s barometer dipped to a record 28.38" ; downed wires and poles disrupted communications and power in New Jersey.

May 29 Fatal Fog Causes Canadian Pacific Liner Empress of Ireland to be rammed by Norwegian Collier Storstad—n the St. Lawrence River off Ste. Luce, Quebec, about 180 miles seaward from Quebec City,

Quebec. Shortly before the crash, fog ob-

82

$45 million loss.

1928 September 16 San Felipe Hurricane—Started in Puerto Rico, then moved west, struck the Palm Beach, FL,

area; pressure of 27.43"; enormous damage; floods at Lake Okeechobee, FL, 1,836 people drowned, 1,870 injured.

1932 January 15 Los Angeles (CA) Snowstorm—A steady snow fell and covered the ground; One to two inches deep at the Civic Center. .

March 21 Alabama Tornadoes—A series of devastating tornadoes killed 269, injured 1,874, and caused $5 million damage. 2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

=

1933 November 13 First “Dust Bow!” . Storm—Spread dust pall from the Great Plains to New York State.

1934 February 9 Peak of Severe Cold Wave—February 1934 marked the longest period of sustained cold in the region from Michigan to the North Atlantic Coast, including Oniario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The lowest temperatures occurred on”

February 9, when Vanderbilt, Ml, dropped to -51°F and Stillwater Reservoir, NY, reached -52°F. Other record lows included: Boston, ‘ MA, -18°F; Providence, RI, -17°F; New York City, NY, -15°F; and Philadelphia, PA, -11°F. * Overall, the coldest month at most locations since January 1857.

April 12 Strongest Wind Ever Recorded Mount Washingion, NH, registered a wind gust of 231 m.p.h.; a five-minute airflow averaged 186 m.p.h.

May 12 Great Dust Bowl Storm—Darkened skies from Oklahoma east to the Atlantic Coast.

1935 September 2 Labor Day Hurricane, Florida Keys—A small, extremely intense center produced the lowest U.S. pressure of 26.35"; tide of 15 feet; 408 lives lost, many were World War | veterans in CCC camp.

1936 April 6 Gainesville (GA) Tornado 208 killed, 934 injured, $13 million damage.

1938 september 21 The Great Long Island/New England Hurricane—Crossed Bellport, Long Island, NY (barometric pressure of 27.94"); made second landfall near Milford, CT, then tracked west of New Haven, up the Connecticut Valley through Massachusetts and Vermont. Blue Hill, MA, had wind gusts to 186 m.p.h.; massive forest ~ blowdown; widespread floods; extreme coastal destruction; record tide inundated Providence, RI; up to 650 fatalities; damage near $400 million.

1939 september 25 El Cordonazo Tropical Storm—Southem Califomia was lashed; Los Angeles received 5.42" in 24 hours; great floods; 45 lives lost;$2 million damage.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

1 940 November 7 “Galloping Gertie” The Narrows Bridge at Tacoma, WA, collapsed when near-gale winds caused the whole structure to vibrate excessively.

November 11 Armistice Day Storm—Over the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes; blizzard conditions in Manitoba, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and western Ontario; 49 dead in Minnesota alone; gales on Lake Michigan caused wrecks and the loss of 59 sailors; 17" snowfall in lowa; barometer at 28.66", Duluth, MN.

1941 March 15 Severest Blizzard of Modern Era—Struck on a Saturday night, 39 lives lost in North Dakota, 32 died in

Minnesota; also buffeted parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba; 85 m.p.h. wind at Grand Forks, ND; 75 m.p.h. wind at Duluth, MN.

1944 September 14—15 The Great Atlantic Hurricane—Swept Cape Hatteras, NC, with a central pressure of 27.97"; sideswiped New Jersey and Long Island, NY, crossed from Point Judith, Ri, to South Weymouth, MA; Cape Cod, MA, suffered severely; 390 people lost at sea.

1946 November 13 Initial Cloud-seeding Experiment—Performed with dry ice by General Electric scientists, Vincent Schaefer and Irving Langmuir, over Massachusetts’ Berkshire Hills. It converted a 4-mile cloud into snow flurries.

1947 February 3 North America’s Coldest Temperature—Snag, Yukon Territory, Canada, the temperature dropped to -81.4°F.

April 9 Southern Plains Tri-state Tornado—Tracked 221 miles from Texas through Oklahoma to Kansas; 169 killed, 980 injured, damage at $9.7 million; Woodward, OK, chief sufferer, with 101 dead.

October 30 Donora (PA) Smog Disaster Caused 20 deaths in Monongahela Valley of Pennsylvania, when a five-day inversion trapped air pollutants in lower atmosphere.

December 26-27 New York’s Big Snow New York City’s (NY) deepest snowstorm;

83

26.4" in Central Park in 24 hours; 32" in suburbs; traffic completely stopped; removal cost $8 million; 27 died.

1950 September 24—30 Blue Sun and Moon—Appeared for several days over the Northeastern States, caused by forest fires in Alberta, Canada. The sun was reportedly tinted with varying shades of violet, lavender, and blue. _

November 25-26 The Great Appalachian Storm—Heavy snow on western slopes, 57" at Pickens, West Virginia: excessive rains on eastern slopes, 7.78" at Slide Mountain, NY; 108 m.p.h. sind at Newark, Nu; gusts to 110 m.p.h. at Concord, NH, and 100 m.p.h. at

(PA); 30" in Catskill Mountains (NY) and ito rior of New England; Boston’s (MA) most intense snowfall to that time, with 19.4". Many forecasters assumed precipitation would pri-

marily fall as rain. Heavy, wet snow with temperatures near or slightly above freezing resulted in the tremendous destruction of power lines and foliage. For parts of eastern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland, this has been the greatest snowfall on record.

1960 April 1 Launch of First Weather

—_\ ; ‘ ; . Sa aS ee e had alifetime of 2.5 months and transmitted 19,389 usable photos showing distribution of Earth’s cloud formations from above.

Hartford, CT. This storm caused the greatest

December 12 Prewinter Blizzard in

wind damage of any storm in the nonhurricane class.

Northeast—20.4" of snow at Newark, NJ; 17" at New York City, NY; 13" at Boston, MA: Nantucket, MA, had 15.7"; with a wind aver-

195 1 February 2 Severe Ice Storm

aging 36 to 51 m.p.h.

Thick, icy sheath from Texas to Pennsylvania;

:

Tennessee suffered most, with communica-

1961 January 19-20 The Kennedy

tions and utilities interrupted for 7 to 10 days; $100 million loss.

1953 June 8 Flint, Michigan, Tornado

Inaugural Snowstorm—Occurred on the eve of John F. Kennedy’s Presidential inauguration in Washington, DC. Second of three huge snows to hit the Northeast during the

116 people killed.

winter of 1960-61. Washington, Baltimore,

June 9 The Worcester County (MA) Tornado—East’s most deadly tornado, 90 victims; property damage at $53 million, then

saw 8", New York City got 10", 25" in Connecticut and New Hampshire, and 24" in Massachusetts; barometer fell to 28.59" off

a record high. Some consideration had been

Nantucket, MA.

given by local forecasters to the possibility of | February 3—4 Third Big Snow of the Winter a tornado, but it was felt that “it couldn’thapof °60-’61—Produced near-record snow pen here.”

cover in the major metropolitan areas, since

snow fell on unmelted accumulations from

1954 January 20 Coldest Temperature the previous storms. This storm also profor the Conterminous (48) States—Roger’s _ duced paralyzing gale-to-hurricane-force Pass, Montana, the mercury fell to -69.7°F.

winds along coastal areas. Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, saw 8 to 11"; New York

1956 July 25 Sinking ofthe Andrea

City, NY, received 19 to 24" and Boston, MA,

Doria—This 29,000-ton Italian luxury liner was rammed by the 12,644-ton Swedish liner Stockholm near Nantucket (MA) Lightship on a mild night with thick fog. Both ships were making confused avoidance maneuvers when they crashed. Andrea Doria

got 14.4". Highest amount fell at Cortland, NY, with 40".

September 11 Hurricane Carla—Battered central Texas coast; 17.62" rainfall; 45

deaths; $300 million damage.

soon lost stability and sank in 12 hours.

1962 March 6 Great Atlantic Coast

Human toll was 52.

Storm of ’62—Destroyed over $200 million

1958 February 17 Great Northeast ’ Snowstorm—36" in the Pocono Mountains 84

in property from New England to Florida; major shoreline erosion from Long Island, NY, to North Carolina; 70 m.p.h. winds ‘ 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

i

D.... waves 40 feet high; deep snow of 33" fell in the Virginia mountains.

March 11 Iowa’s Record Snow —. . . one of the most paralyzing snowstorms in decades”; 48" on ground at Inwood, lowa, _ after the storm.

October 12 Columbus Day “Big Blow” in Oregon and Washington—Winds in excess of 100 m.p.h.; 28.42" barometer; 10 million board feet of timber blown down in forests; extensive structural damage; 48 deaths;

$210 million loss. Gusts also felt in British Columbia.

1965 April 11 Palm sunday Tornadoes—37 funnels descended in lowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio; 271 killed; 3,000 injured; damage in

excess of $500 million.

FE: 1966 March 3 Jackson, Mississippi, Tornado—54 killed.

March 4 Severe Northern Plains Blizzard Raged in North Dakota and Minnesota for over 100 hours; wind gusts to 100 m.p.h.; snowfall up to 35"; traffic paralyzed for three days. Also affected parts of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and western Ontario. November 17 Meteor Storm _ Leonid shower briefly produced meteor rates estimated at 40 per second over Western and Central North America.

1 967 January 27 Chicago’s Greatest Snowstorm—23" in 29 hours, paralyzed the city and its suburbs for many days; business losses were enormous.

August 15 The 56,000-acre Idaho Fire Started by lightning, fed by a massive expanse of forest fuels made bone-dry by an unusually hot, dry summer, and driven by “winds of more than 50 m.p.h., traveled across the Selkirk Mountains like a giant tornado. Funnel-shaped vortices of flame, whirling at speeds of 300 m.p.h., flung giant trees about like matchsticks. Peak energy release was comparable to exploding a 20-kiloton atomic bomb every two minutes.

1969 February 9-10 The Lindsay Storm—Snowstorm dumped up to 20" of E 2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

snow in New York City, NY. Mayor John Lindsay ran into political misfortune after sections of the city remained unplowed for a

week following the snowfall. The storm was poorly predicted as forecasters thought precipitation would be primarily rain. Boston, MA,

11.1"; Hartford, CT, 15.8"; Bedford, MA, 25”.

February 24—28 The 100-hour Snowstorm Snow fell at Boston, MA, for 100 hours, with

only a 20-minute break, to a depth of 26.3"; nearby Blue Hill, MA , had 38.7"; Portsmouth, NH, got 33.8"; and Portland, ME, received 26.9". 77" at Pinkham Notch, NH, and 56" at Long Falls Dam, ME, set state records.

August 17 Hurricane Camille—Made landfall on Mississippi coast, “severest ever to strike populated area in the US”; winds of 200 miles per hour; ranked a 5 on the 1—5 Saffir-Simpson scale; tide 24 feet; caused

144 deaths and nearly $1.3 billion in damage; later floods in Virginia drowned 113

more people.

1970 August 3 Hurricane Celia—Struck the Corpus Christi, Texas, area; “the most damaging ever on the Texas coast,” with 11

deaths and a $454 million loss.

September 3 Largest Hailstone Fell Measured 17.5" in circumference and weighed 1.671 Ibs., Coffeyville, Kansas.

September 25 Tragic Santa Ana Winds Record temperatures southern California

(105°F in Los Angeles; 97°F in San Diego) combined with a 19-month drought to cause widespread firestorms. The worst in California’s history.

1972 June 9-10 Rapid City Flood— Heavy thunderstorms, stalled to the westnorthwest of Rapid City, South Dakota, dropped 15" of rain in 5 hours, creating a flood surge for the nearby Canyon Lake Dam. The dam eventually failed and caused water to surge through the business district. In just two hours, 236 people died, and damage exceeded $100 million.

June 22 Hurricane Agnes—The most costly weather disaster in the United States to that date: dropped 12" of rain across Pennsylvania and New York; Wilkes-Barre,

85

PA, on the Susquehanna River was the principal sufferer; $2.1 billion loss; 122 victims.

1973 January 8 Atlanta Ice Storm Paralyzed Atlanta, GA, for several days; businesses and schools closed; damage es-

timated at $25 million.

October 24 Fatal Jersey Fog—Sixty-five vehicles crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike near Interchange 16W, close to Giants ~ Stadium. Nine people were killed and 40 injured. Smoke froma fire a mile away mpxed with fog to create zero visibility.

December 16-18 Southern New England Ice Storm—One to three inches of ice fell on Connecticut and adjacent sections of Massachusetts and Rhode Island; the greatest power outages in New England history resulted in 248,000 customers without power; tree damage in Connecticut worse than after the 1938 hurricane; many homes without power/phone for a week.

1 974 January 1 Highest Barometric Pressure for North America—Measured 31.53" at Mayo, Yukon Territory, Canada.

April 3 Super Tornado Outbreak—148 tornadoes in 12 states; 309 fatalities, 5,300 injuries; Alabama, Kentucky, and Ohio hardest hit; Xenia, Ohio devastated.

1975 November 10 Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald—Another “Freshwater Fury” on Lake Superior sank the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald, with the loss of the crew of 29; immortalized in a song by Canadian singer, Gordon Lightfoot.

1976 February 2 The Groundhog Day Storm—Storm system rapidly intensified off Delmarva Coast (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia), and raced northeastward, briefly brought blizzard conditions and, in just a few hours, a 20 to 40 degree (F) drop in temperature to the Northeast. Storm brought wind gusts of 100 m.p.h. to Nova Scotia; barometric pressure fell to 28.30", much lower than many summertime hurricanes.

1977 January 19 South Florida Snow Snowflakes seen in extreme south of Florida peninsula; observed at Miami, Miami Beach and Homestead.

86

January 30 The Buffalo (NY) Blizzard

6

Worst blizzard on record to hit east side of Lakes Erie and Ontario; wind gusts to 69 m.p.h.; zero-visibility whiteouts; wind chill factor of -50°F.

July 13 New York City (NY) Blackout Lightning strike on power line near Indian Point, NY, triggered massive 25-hour power blackout in and around New York City, NY; looting resulted in billion dollar loss.

‘1978 January 20 Surprise Northeast Snowstorm—This was the most debilitating ‘snowstorm since 1969 in the Northeast US. Along the coast, snowfall was underforecast, since the predicted changeover from snow to rain either did not occur or took place after there had already been substantial accumulations. Washington, DC/Baltimore, MD, saw 6 to 8"; New York City, NY, 14"; Boston, MA,

set its 24-hour snowfall record with 21.5", only to have it broken 17 days later.

February 6—7 Blizzard of ’78—Hurricaneforce winds and record-breaking snowfall made this storm one of the more intense to occur this century across parts of the Northeast. A small area with 50 or more inches of snowfall was reported in northern Rhode Island. Washington, DC, received 2.2"; Baltimore, MD, 9.1"; Philadelphia, PA, 14.1"; New York City, NY, 17.7". Boston, MA, received 27.1" and subsequently was completely shut down for a week.

1979 February 19 The Presidents’ Day Storm—Chiefly affected the Middle Atlantic States, with record snowfall in many areas. Washington, DC, 18.7" in 18.5 hours at the airport; total depth, 23". Baltimore, MD, air-

port had 20".

1979 september 12 Hurricane Frederic—Smashed into Mobile Bay, AL, area with 132 m.p.h. sustained winds; $2.3 billion damage.

1980 May 18 Washington’s Mount Saint Helens Erupted—Smoke plume rose to 80,000 feet; ash fell heavily to northeast; cloud reached East Coast in 3 days; circled world in 19 days.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

D 4 Streak of Extreme Heat Ended at Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas—A string of 42 consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 100°F ended; summer mean _ temperature was 89°F. Temperature peaked _at 113°F during the streak.

December 25 Cold Christmas in Northeast—Sharp cold front moved southeast during the predawn hours; Old Farge, - N-Y., -38°F; Boston, MA, dropped from midnight 32°F to 7°F; New York City, NY, from 37°F to -1°F. :

1982 January 12 Severe Winter Storm for Deep South—Snow, sleet, and freezing rain from Texas to South Carolina, as much as 5"; Atlanta, GA, dropped to -5°F; freeze killed vegetables in south Florida, damaged citrus in central Florida.

_ January 17 Cold Sunday—Tower, MN, dropped to -52°F, Chicago, IL, O’Hare Airport fell to -26°F; zero degree F cold penetrated to central Alabama and Mississippi. Montgomery, AL, was -2°F; Jackson, MS, down to -5°F. Despite bright sunshine, Buffalo, NY, and Princeton, NJ, got no higher than -2°F.

January 22-23 Two Massive Snowfalls in Three Days for Minneapolis—First 17.1" fell on the 20th, followed by 19.9" on the 22nd23rd; these produced new 24-hour, singlestorm records; also 38" depth of snow on the ground, and 44" total depth for one month,

both all-time records. April 4 Mexico’s El Chichon Volcano Erupted—tt poured enormous quantities of

invisible sulfur dioxide gas into the atmosphere; the cloud formed by the gasses had completely circled the Earth by the end of April. For some locations, the cloud weakened the direct rays of the Sun by as much as 20 percent.

1983 February 12 The Megalopolitan Snowstorm—The heaviest snows from this storm were along a line from Washington, DC, to New York City, NY, and on to Boston, MA. Average accumulations along this line measured from 14" to 23". The 24-hour snowfalls at Philadelphia, PA, of 21.3"; Harrisburg, PA, 25"; and Allentown, PA, 2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

25.2"; and the 21" in Hartford, CT, were the greatest on record.

1988 September 21—22 Hurricane Hugo—Packing winds of 135 m.p.h., the center of this storm hit Charleston, South

Carolina. High tides and torrential rains soaked the barrier islands and the coast; 24 died. Congress approved $1.1 billion in emergency aid.

1989 March 13 The Great Aurora One of the grandest displays of the aurora borealis (northern lights) on record. Ghostly moving curtains of fiery red, fringed with pale green and trailing ribbon-like streamers, were observed from the jungles of Honduras to the suburbs of London. The display was accompanied by massive disruptions of radar, satellite, navigation and radio commu-

nications. An electrical failure in Quebec left six million Canadians in the dark for more than nine hours.

199 1 October 30-31 The Halloween Storm—Unusual because of its intensity (near-hurricane-force winds) and movement (from east to west); affected most ocean shorelines from the Mid-Atlantic States to the Canadian Maritimes with extremely high tides and devastating floods. 1992 August 24—25 Hurricane Andrew—Among the worst of natural disasters ever to strike the U.S. The city of Homestead, FL, and the Homestead Air Force Base were virtually leveled by winds of 165 m.p.h. In Florida, the storm claimed 30 lives, destroyed or damaged 85,000 homes, and left 250,000 people homeless; damage was estimated at $20 billion. Andrew also struck the Louisiana coast with 140 m.p.h. winds. :

1993 March 13-14 The Blizzard of ”93—-Described by the National Weather Service as “one of the worst storms of the century”; the onslaught left 13" of snow in Birmingham, AL, and 36" in Syracuse, NY. Dozens of tornadoes were reported in the South. More than 200 lives lost.

87

Late June through Early August Great Midwest Floods—Continual bouts of heavy

April 19-23 Devastating Floods for the ¢ Upper Plains—Thanks chiefly toa winter

rain lead to record flooding: all of lowa and parts of eight other states designated disaster areas; 8 million acres flooded, 12 million acres were too wet to grow crops; 50 dead, 70,000 homeless.

that saw three times the normal snowfall, a rapid early spring snowmelt caused a catastrophic flood along the Red River of the North, leading to the emergency evacuation of 50,000 people in Grand Forks, ND; 8,500 in east Grand Forks, MN, and 17,000 to the south of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

1995 July 12-17 Deadly Heat Wave for Midwest and Northeast—800 people died, 536 in Chicago alone, where an all-time record high of 106°F was attained on July 13th.

s

1998 January 8-10 Ice Storm Paralyzed X Northern New England, Quebec and New

Brunswick—Worst ice storm of the century

1996 January 7-8 The Blizzard of 96 An immense blizzard paralyzed much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast States, with snow accumulations of 1 to 2 feet common in many areas; 100 dead. Major airports in the Northeast Corridor were shut down for at least two days.

1997 January 11-12 Record 24-hour Snowfall—Lake-effect snowstorm from Lake Ontario dropped 95" of snow on the town of Montague, on the Tug Hill plateau of New York State. The 77" that fell in a single 24hour period set a new national record.

March through 1998 July Most Powerful El Nifio—The largest and most substantial ever observed in the past 150 years. Was responsible for periodic heavy wind and rain for California, and rainfall totals 10 times greater than normal for parts of Florida. Tropical storm activity suppressed: only one storm formed in the Atlantic during the peak months of August and September.

Dusskin+ LIGHTNING Flashy ear rings

BRIGHT SUNRISE

‘ across northern New York State, northern

New England, Quebec and New Brunswick Provinces; numerous power lines felled by heavy ice accumulation; electricity cut to

hundreds of thousands . . . homes without heat or power for up to two weeks.

October 29 to November 3 Monstrous Mitch—One of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded struck Central America. At least 10,000 deaths resulted, mostly from flooding and mudslides triggered by the storm. Thousands more were missing in villages buried under the mud. The European Union approved $7.7 million in aid; the United States $2 million, and Canada $1 million.

1999 January 2—3 Chicago’s (IL) Big Post-New Year Snow—This city’s secondheaviest snowfall, with an accumulation of 21.6" recorded at O’Hare Field.

ASTRONOMER A person who is star craving mad

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

’ Ice to meet ya

RAINFALL DEFICIT The garden of needin’

Squint essential

An activity that increases the owe zone layer

RUSSIAN METEOROLOGIST

WEATHERMAN’S LOVE SONG

BOB SLED

Doppler Zhivago

“Gale of my dreams”

A polar coaster

MORNING SHOWERS

OVERCAST

Drench toast

Cloudy duty time

88

HURRICANE A tropical storm with an attitude 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC 5 5

* CALENDAR FOR 2000. Ram

Ruling Periods of the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac

Aries

and their Relation to the Body.

| .a8

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es

Neck

a.m.

to Apr. 19 at 2 p.m.

miy?ae am ,

Twi n s

:

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Ce

:

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69 Cancer Breast

May 21 at 2 p.m.

to Jun.20at9p.m.

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Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. - toSep.22at12 p.m.

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to Oct. 22 at10p.m. Archer

Oct.22at10 p.m.

j

to Nov. 21 at Ge é Goat

:

:

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-.

Dec. 2 at9 am. to Jan. 19at8p.m.

:

Fishes

Sagittarius 7 Thighs

_ © Capricom

Nov. 21at 8 p.m. to Dec.21at 9 am. Waterman

Aquarius ~~ Yas

coveiniebiiad mmmmemiais doe eetapemmmeccee. ae J Se

Jan. 20at2p.m.

THE SEASONS

to Feb. 19 at 4am.

EASTERN STANDARD TIME

Sign

Sunenters:

!

PISCES se Feb.19 at4am.

to Mar. 20 at 3 a.m.

Long. Const'n.

-§

270°

Vi 69 = 76

0° 90° 180° 270°

Winter begins, Dec. 22, 1999, 2:44 a.m. K 0 «= oe

Spring begins, Mar. 20, 2000, 2:35 a.m. Summer begins, Jun. 20, 2000, 8:47 p.m. Autumn begins, Sep. 22, 2000, 12:28 p.m. Winter begins, Dec, 21, 2000, 8:38 a.m.

Earth in Perihelion January 3, 2000 1:00 a.m. - 91,405,890 miles from the Sun. Earth in Aphelion July 3, 2000 7:00 p.m. - 94,512,680 miles from the Sun.

ERAS AND CYCLES: The year 2000 is from July 4, the 225th year of Independence of the

United States of America. The Dominical or Sunday Letters BA; Epact 24; Golden Number 6; day Solar Cycle 21; Roman Indiction 8; Julian Period 6713 and January 1,is the 2,451,545: since its beginning; Dionysian Period 329; Jewish Lunar Cycle 3. Selected Church Days, Holidays, Birthdays, Notable Events, Moon’s Apogee and Perigee, and the more interesting astronomical events of the year will be found on their proper dates in the wide columns of 12 calendar pages. Unless otherwise stated all figures are in Civil Time. The ' Moon’s place is given in connection with the Lucky and Unlucky Days. Use the Sign as given

under Moon’s place in the calendar pages for all planting and astrological calculations, Mail astronomical questions, with stamped, self-addressed envelope, direct to: | =

ee)

Hart Wright Company, Box 1609, Lewiston, ME 04241

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

=~

= -

89

General Outlook for 2000 First-last year’s weather ... Our long-range predictions for the winter of 1998-99 foretold colder and snowier conditions than normal across much of the United States and Canada. At first, our forecast looked like it was going to be off, since near-record warmth covered much of the central and eastern parts of North America during November and December. However, just a few days before Christmas a major pattern change took place, delivering a surge of much colder air plus an active storm track. , We sounded the alarm for a blockbuster storm to hit parts of the Midwest and Northeast at the end of 1998, noting that for some areas in the Midwest snow accumulations of 12" or more were a distinct possibility. Readers in the Chicago area will attest to the historic winter storm that struck just after New Year’s Day, leaving nearly two feet of snow. The same storm also brought fierce windsand | heavy precipitation to the Northeast. Our projection of a huge New England snowstorm in mid-January (with the potential of up to 24") also was fulfilled when parts of western Massachusetts received a foot anda half of the white stuff. Even into March, the storm “conveyor belt” continued to roll—the folks who live in Rochester, New York can verify to the accuracy of that forecast! For parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S., true wintery weather seemed to wait until March, when nearlya foot of snow fell in parts of the Greater New York area, with less than a week to go until spring! _ Meanwhile, thanks to the antics of El Nifio’s tempestuous little sister, La Nifia, a series of powerful Pacific disturbances continuously lashed the Pacific Northwest, producing near-record snows for parts of the Cascades and the Northern Rockies. All things considered, it was a highly variable and unusual winter, with periodic arctic blasts and storminess lacing the continent from coast to coast.

Outlook for this year ... After our most recent rough winter, we have some good news: a more moderate winter season appears to be on the way for 1999-2000. However, November and December 1999 will be unusually stormy and active across much of the country. And believe it or not, we foresee the possibility of another big winter storm for the Midwest and Northeast arriving by the close of 99! Once we get these early storms out of the way, the rest of the winter should seem tame by comparison. However, winter is winter, and there will be several bouts of cold weather to contend with—especially in January, when frosts are possible even as far south as Florida. February will be milder,

but with more snow. Chillier and wetter-than-normal weather will delay spring, and summer should be a hot one—with possible hurricane threats for the Gulf Coast toward the end of July, and again in early September. Happy last year of the 20th century! 90

Calel Weatherlee 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

9th Month

SEPTEMBER 1999

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3:05 p.m.

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57

*Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

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12

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11

52

11

50

Calendar for

SOUTHERN

STATES

55 17 |

22nd

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NORTHERN

00

-th for C.S.T. -2hforM.S.T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th

DAYS

IAN

5:17pm. | p

:

STATES

45°N. Lat.

35°N. Lat.

75°W. Long.

75°W. Long.

MOON’S en MERIDIA PASSAG

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

Summer Triangle mer. 8:45 p.m; h) cl. 3:36am. Double Cluster mer.3:36 am; Moon per. 1:00p.m. Spica sets 7:58 p.m.

Caph mer, 1:12 a.m. Labor Day; @ ri. 3:48 a.m. Castor ri. 12:33 a.m. Messier 42 ri. 12:44 a.m. Job’s Coffin mer. 9:30 p.m. Capella ri. 7:57 p.m. TP| 5:33 Rosh Hashanah; Alpheratz mer. 12:47 a.m. || 5:34

Grandparents’ Day; sets 9:27 p.m. Fast of Gedaliah; Praesepe ri. 2:00 a.m. Holy Cross Day; “Teapot” sets 11:44 p.m. Ember Day; Deneb mer. 9:10 p.m. Procyon ri. 1:39 a.m.; Moon apo. 2:00p.m. Ember Day; cAntares cl. 5:19 p.m. Ember Day; 2 ri. 7:41 p.m.

38.Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost -September 19,1999 Uy i n- Tw1h39m 19 | Su | Regulus ri. 3:34 a.m. Yom Kippur, Pollux ri. 12:03 a.m./11:59 p.m. |x EI Nath ri. 9:29 p.m. 2s Altair mer. 7:43 p.m. Autumnal Equinox 6:31 a.m. EST

Andromeda Galaxy mer. 12:29 a.m; hri.7:57 pm.|-V

;

i

aan Tw.th a :

;

5:50

Succot; Harvest Moon; Algol mer. 2:51 a.m.|-V | 5:51

39. Eighteen Sunday after Pentecost th -- September 26,1999 26 | Su | Belt ofOrion ri. 11:20 p.m. 27 | Mo © aipesien belliancye Mecturesseas 50

eee a

=~ Uist. Twi thin

28 | Tu | Denebola ri.4:30..m.; Moon per. 12:00 p.m. 29 | We | Occ. ofAldebaran 9:10 to9:40 p.m. 30 | Th | Albereo sets 2:40 a.m.

BIRTHSTONE: Sapphire, symbol of wisdom

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDATES

5-— Cardinal Richelieu

FLOWER:cider or Mace Glory

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

19 — Charles Carroll

1 — World War II began, 1939

23 — Euripides

2 — US. Treasury organized, 1798

15 - William Howard Taft

23 —Caeser Augustus

18 — Ray Geiger, Philom.

24 — John Marshall

10 — Sewing machine patented, 1846

5 — Jesse James

8 -— Robert A. Taft

11-0. Henry

92

20 — Alexander the Great 23 — William McGuffey

:

2— Great Fire of London, 1666

6 — President McKinley shot, 1901

14 - Star Spangled Banner, 1814

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

SEPTEMBER

1999 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Pleasant weather. 4th-7th. Scattered showers followed by clearing, cooler weather, hopefully in time for the Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Stormy, gale-force winds along the coast, then fair, cool. 16th-19th. Cold, gusty winds, showers, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Fair, pleasant. 24th-27th, Stormy, then clearing, rather cold conditions. 28th30th. Mostly fair.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. Fair, pleasant. 4th-7th. Continued pleasant. 8th-11th. Turning unsettled, especially Michigan, Ohio. 12th-15th. Clearing skies, chilly. 16th-19th. Showers with cold winds, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Fair skies. 24th-27th. Unsettled, then clearing and turning chilly. 28th30th. Mostly fair.

ZONE 3 ¢ SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Hot and muggy. 4th-7th. Showery Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Hurricane threat coincides with traditional peak of hurricane season. 12th-1 5th. Clearing skies for Tennessee River Valley. Scattered showers elsewhere, then improving skies. 16th-19th. Gusty winds, rain, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Fair, pleasant. 24th-27th. Squally along Gulf Coast; rain for Tennessee, points east, then clearing. 28th-30th. Mostly fair.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair at first, then turning unsettled with showers in Rockies, across Plains States. 4th7th. Tranquil, pleasant for the holiday. 8th-11th. Turning unsettled through Rockies, Plains States. 12th-15th. Fair and chilly. 16th-19th. Some rain Colorado, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Fair, then turning stormy Rockies, across Plains. 24th-27th. Clearing, blustery conditions. 28th-30th. Milder, then wet through Rockies.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES Ast-3rd. Fair initially, then turning unsettled with showers. 4th-7th. Threatening skies for New Mexico and Texas; otherwise, it’s fair and pleasant for the Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Big thunderstorms in Texas; turning unsettled elsewhere. 12th-15th. Fair and chilly. 16th-19th. Unsettled. 20th-23rd. Gusty winds and monsoon showers over New Mexico. 24th-27th. Squally from Texas eastward along the Gulf Coast. Rain for Arkansas, then clearing skies. Breezy, chilly elsewhere. 28th-30th. Moderating temperatures, then showers.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies, but turning unsettled. 4th-7th. A spell of pleasant wees for the Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Turning unsettled. 12th-15th. Fair skies, chilly. 16th-19th. Unsettled. 20th-23rd. Fair, then very unsettled. 24th-27th. Residual showers are accompanied by chilly winds. 28th-30th. Milder, but still wet at times.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, then turning unsettled. 4th-7th. Threatening skies for the Labor Day holiday. 8th11th. Windy; unsettled for California coast and points east. 12th-15th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Unsettled with some rain, especially for Utah, then clearing skies. 20th-23rd. Fair weather, followed bya spell of unsettled weather. 24th-27th. Blustery conditions. 28th-30th. Milder, then turning wet.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

93

10th Month

31 Days

— = it I —o——=

Vr som w=

H

SUN ON MERIDIAN

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© Last Quarter @ NewMoon

ist 9th

CIVIL TIME Al

11:02p.m. 6:34am.

De te de

D First Quarter 17th 9:59am. | 1st

© FullMoon

24th

4:02pm. | 8th

@ Last Quarter

31st

7:03 a.m.

es

IL

sea

I

47 37

15th

11

45

49.

*Subtract hour(s) for other time zones 22nd -th for C.S.T. -2hforM.S.T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th

11 11

44 43

32 46

.

if

My t

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Scorpio

Sue Uy

Calendar for

Calendar for

NORTHERN STATES

SOUTHERN STATES

45°N. Lat.

35°N. Lat.

75°W. Long.

75°W. Long.

PLACE MOON'S

r

- | Ruchbah mer. 12:45am. ~ Seven Sisters mer. 3:00 a.m.

rises | sets | rises | rises | sets | rises

5:58 | 5:41 | 10:27] 5:55 | 5:45 | 10:55] 6:00 | 5:39 | 11:27 | 5:56 | 5:43 | 11:54}

MOON'S = SOUTHING OR 3 5SMERIDI PASSAG

6:10 7:03

. Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost- October 3,1999 me ah 31m - Tw th 37m | L/Day 1th 45m - Twi. 1h 24m Simchat Torah; Castor ri. 10:40 p.m. El Nath mer. 4:31 a.m. Menkar mer. 2:06 a.m.

i

5

M31 mer. 11:42 p.m; 9 ri. 2:30 a.m. Sirius ri. 12:39 a.m. , Regulus cl. 2:22 a.m.; Rigel ri. 10:34 p.m. | ire Prevention Day; Sirius ri. 12:31 a.m. Procyon ri. 12:05 a.m. Columbus Day; Almitak mer. 4:21 a.m. Regulus ri. 2:04 a.m.; Cf sets 8:49 p.m. Pollux ri. 10:31 p.m. Moon apo. 9:00 a.m. Pegasus mer. 10:38 p.m. Aldebaran mer. 2:57 a.m.

Denebola ri. 3:22 a.m.; asets 6:04 am. Aldebaran mer. 2:51 am.; 2} ri. 5:34 p.m. Bx aes Algenib mer. 10:21 p.m. Hyades mer. 2:30 a.m. Betelgeuse mer. 3:56 a.m. Fomalhaut sets 12:59 a.m. Mira mer. 12:13 a.m.

Mo | hri. 5:50 p.m. h) cl. 5:50 p.m. Tu | Vega sets 1:10 a.m.; Moon per. 8:00 a.m. We Miranearpeakbrightness; Bodtes ri.4:45 a.m. Th | Deneb sets 4:09a.m.

nt

Sn i Pa

October31,1999 See Twih38m

pep

Twi.1h25m

|31|Su_|Halloween; Daylight SavingTime ends_Q[Q] 6:38|4:50[11:30|6:20|5:07 [11:52] 6:30| BIRTHSTONE:

Opal or Tourmaline, symbol of hope

OCTOBER BIRTKDATES

5— ChesterA.Arthur

22— Sarah Bernhardt

14 — William Penn 6 — Noah Webster

28 — Jonas Salk 30-John Adams

6 — George Westinghouse 11 — Eleanor Roosevelt

94

25-—Admiral RichardE. Byrd 27—Theodore Roosevelt

FLOWER: Calendula or Cosmos OCTOBER EVENTS

1 - First “Model T” Ford built, 1908

4- Russia launched first satellite, 1957 8 — Great Chicago fire, 1871

10 —- U.S. Naval Academy established, 1845 24 — United Nations established, 1945

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

OCTOBER 1999 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Squally, then fair and cold. 4th-7th. Fair, pleasant. 8th-11th. Squally weather; heavy rain, especially for Mid-Atlantic region, then clearing, cold conditions. 12th-15th. Showers, especially over Virginia/Maryland area. 1’6th-19th. Blustery winds. 20th-23rd. Lake-effect snow squalls for western sections of New York, northwestern Pennsylvania. Some snow for northern New England as well. Stormy weather spreads north to Mid-Atlantic region. 24th-27th. Clearing skies, turning colder. 28th-31st. Windy, rainy and chilly, some snow over higher elevations of New England, then turning fair by Halloween.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. Squally, especially for Great Lakes area, then fair and cold. 4th-7th. Generally fair and dry. 8th-1 1th. Mixed clouds and sun. 12th-15th. Showery conditions. 16th-19th. Blustery winds. 20th-23rd. Lake-effect snow showers, snow squalls for Great Lakes area. 24th-27th.

Clearing skies, colder. 28th-31st. Windy, rainy and chilly weather should move out by Halloween.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Some rain, then clearing and cold. 4th-7th. Fair and pleasant. 8th-11th. Heavy rain,

then clearing and cold. 12th-15th. Chilly rain for Tennessee River Valley. 16th-19th. Dry weather; gusty winds. 20th-23rd. Tranquil, pleasant to start, then turning stormy along Gulf Coast, points north and east. 24th-27th. Clearing skies, turning chilly. 28th-31st. Light rain, then turning fair in time for Halloween.

ZONE 4 ¢ NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Clearing over the Plains. 4th-7th. Becoming stormy with an early-season snow in the Rockies, flurries for Plains States; wet Missouri. 8th-11th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Milder weath-

er spreads east, then flurries Rockies, showers over the Plains. 16th-19th. Mostly fair, then turning stormy; blustery winds for Plains States. 20th-23rd. Heavy snow over Plains States, clearing skies elsewhere. 24th-27th. Mostly fair and cold, then turning unsettled. 28th-31st. A clearing trend brings fair skies for Halloween.

ZONE 5 ¢ SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Some rain over Southern Plains, then clearing and cold. 4th-7th. Becoming stormy, wet as far east as Arkansas. 8th-11th. Fair weather. 12th-15th. Milder weather spreads east, fol-

lowed by showers. 16th-19th. Mostly fair, then turning stormy; cold, gusty winds. 20th-23rd. Tranquil and pleasant over Gulf Coast, then turning stormy; fair weather elsewhere. 24th-27th. Mostly fair, cold conditions, then unsettled. 28th-31st. Light rain in Texas, then fair; clear skies everywhere for Halloween.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Clearing skies. 4th-7th. Stormy conditions develop. 8th-11th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Milder, followed by developing showers. 16th-19th. Mostly fair initially, then turning stormy. 20th-23rd. Fair weather returns. 24th-27th. Mostly fair and chilly at first, then turning unsettled. 28th-31st. Drier, clearer for trick-or-treaters.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Clearing and chilly. 4th-7th. Fair, then windy, rainy California, across the Southwest. 8th-11th. Fair skies return. 12th-15th. Milder, chance of a few showers. 16th-19th. Mostly fair, but turning stormy with some snow over highest elevations. 20th-23rd. Fair weather. 24th27th. Mostly fair, cold and unsettled conditions. 28th-31st. Clearing in time for Halloween.

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

a)

11th Month

MOON’S

@ NewMoon

DO

aeee

7th

1999

Sea

10:53pm}

p

D First Quarter 16th 4:03am. | Ist

4

11

M

S,

43 37°

Calendar for

Calendar for

edi

Sea

© FullMoon

23rd

2:03am. | 8th

11

43 46

45°N. Lat.

€ Last Quarter

29th

6:18pm. | Mth

11

44 38,

75°W. Long.

*Subtract hour(s) for other time zones 22nd th for C.S.T. -2h forM.S.T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th DAYS

11 11

46 48

06 16

.MOON’S PLACE

ee

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

Sun | Moon] Sun sets | rises | rises

Seah

Moon rises

MOON’S eourHine MERID PASSA

Mo | All Saint’s Day; Pleiades ri. 5:35 p.m. Tu | Election Day; All Soul’s Day We| Altair sets 11:30 p.m.

Th | Fomalhaut mer. 8:03 p.m. ri. 2:43 a.m. Enif sets 1:16 a.m.

Sirius mer. 3:42 a.m.; Sa combust Rasalhague sets 9: 08 p.m. Deneb Kaitos mer. 9:30 p.m. Gemini mer. 4:17 a.m. Veterans’ Day; Moon apo. 1:00 a.m. Adhara ri. 11:20 p.m.; o’ sets 8:34 p.m. El Nath mer. 1:57 a.m.

wy]

Vega sets 11:53 p.m. CS ae Transit of ¥ across disc of the © 4:42 p.m. [=x Arcturus ri. 3: 26 a.m. rm” of Leonid Meteors late tonight Th | 2} sets 4: 2 a a.m. Deneb sets 2:39 a.m. Capella mer. 1:19 a.m.

Regulus ri.11:19p.m. h) cl. 10:23 p.m.|¥ M42 mer. 1:31 a.m. Il Moon per. 5:00 p.m. ))Aldebaran cl.5:29 p.m. |It Hyades mer. 12:08 a.m.; h sets 5:14 a.m. Thanksgiving Day; Aldebaran mer. 12:21 am.

Double StarCluster of Perseus mer. 10:01 pm. A} Q Menkalinan mer. 1:34 a.m.

48. First Sunday ofAdvent-November 28, 1999

$2

Ung9

Canes Venatici ri. 2:48 a.m.

Bellatrix mer. 12:53 am; })Regulus cl. 4:07 a.m.|| St. Andrew; Caph mer. 7:33 p.m.; 2 Spica cl. am.

BIRTHSTONE: Topaz, symbol of oe

NOVEMBER BIRTHDATES 2—2— 2— 4— 67—

96

Daniel Boone Marie Antoinette Warren G. Harding Will Rogers John Philip Sousa Madame Curie

10— Martin Luther 13— Robert Louis Stevenson 14— Robert Fulton 19—James A. Garfield 25 — Andrew Carnegie 30 — Mark Twain

th45m P|

7:15 | 4:22 | 10:27 7:16 | 4:21 | 11:35 7:17 | 4:21 |morn

FLOWER:

:“i 4:49 |10:46] 5:21

4:49 &so 4:49

|11:48| |morn|

6:08 | 6:52 |

Chrysanthemum

NOVEMBER EVENTS 2 — First radio station, 1920 11— Armistice signed, 1918 16— US. recognized Soviet Russia, 1933 17 - Suez Canal opened, 1869 19 — Lincoln delivered Gettysburg Address, 1863 | 22 — Kennedy assassinated, 1963

. , 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

NOVEMBER ZONE1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES

1999 WEATHER

FORECAST ;

Ast-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Storm from Missouri, Arkansas area sweeps snow up through Ohio River Valley to Mid-Atlantic States, then fair, colder. A secondary storm forms south of Long Island, bringing very stormy, snowy weather to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine. 8th-11th. Wet New England, clearing elsewhere.’ 12th-1 5th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Snow New England, rain Virginia, Maryland; mixed rain, sleet, snow elsewhere. 20th-23rd. Fair, cold. 24th-27th. Unsettled Thanksgiving time, snow flurries New England, squally Mid-Atlantic region. 28th30th. Fair skies possible, snow showers western New York, Pennsylvania.

ZONE 2 ¢ GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. Stormy weather spreads in, especially over Great Lakes. 4th-7th. A storm from Missouri, Arkansas area sweeps snow up through Ohio River Valley, then fair, colder. 8th-11th. Light snow. 12th-15th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Snow Great Lakes region. 20th-23rd. Fair and cold. 24th-27th. Initially unsettled for Thanksgiving time; snow flurries, then clearing. 28th30th. Heavy snow showers, squalls around Great Lakes area.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES |.

1st-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Showers, then fair, brisk and cold weather. 8th-11th. Steady rain from Gulf Coast north, east up to Carolinas; showers Florida, all followed by clearing skies. 12th15th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Showery. 20th-23rd. Fair, cold. 24th-27th. Thanksgiving time could start out unsettled with squally conditions, then clearing skies. 28th-30th. Fair and pleasant conditions.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Stormy, heavy snow over Rockies, across Plains. 4th-7th. Storm exits east through Missouri, then fair, cold. 8th-11th. Becoming unsettled, light snow Rockies, points east, then clearing. 12th-1 5th. Fair, then stormy into Rockies from the West. 16th-19th. Southwest storm brings snow to Colorado, Plains. 20th-23rd. Pleasant, but becoming unsettled for Rocky Mountain States. 24th-27th. Fair Thanksgiving time. 28th-30th. Intense storm Rockies, Plains brings snow as far east as Kansas.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Snow Southern Plains to Texas. 4th-7th. Intense storm exits east through Arkansas, then fair, colder. 8th-11th. Becoming unsettled, snow parts of New Mexico, Texas; rain along Gulf Coast. 12th-1 5th. Fair, then stormy from the West. 16th-19th. Storm brings a mixture of snow, sleet, rain. 20th-23rd. Pleasant, but unsettled weather sneaks in. 24th-27th. Fair skies Thanksgiving time. 28th-30th. Intense storm Rockies, Plains brings snow to Southern Plains as far east as Oklahoma.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Stormy conditions. 4th-7th. Fair and cold. 8th-11th. Becoming unsettled with some rain, wet snow showers. 12th-15th. Fair initially, then stormy from coastal plain and all points _ east. 16th-19th: Unsettled conditions initially, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Pleasant, but becoming unsettled by 20th for Washington, Oregon, all points east. 24th-27th. Fair weather for Thanksgiving. 28th-30th. Turning unsettled.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Rain showers, wet snow over higher elevations. 4th-7th. Turning fair, cold. 8th-11th. Some snow Nevada, Utah, northern Arizona. 12th-1 5th. Fair initially, then stormy. 16th-19th. Southwest storm brings snow to Utah, then clearing trend; rain, wet flurries elsewhere, then improving. 20th-23rd. Tranquil, pleasant conditions give way to some scattered showers. 24th27th. Thanksgiving time is mainly fair. 28th-30th. Intensifying storm over Rockies brings strong winds, periods of rain and (over high terrain) snow.

“2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

97

12th Month

eB es ie es 1999

ages elBA a

5:31pm.

@ NewMoon

7th

© FullMoon

22nd 12:31p.m.|

@ Last Quarter

29th

mia ees

AN

Calendar for

Calendar for

S.%

NORTHERN

SOUTHERN

|p

HH

M

8th

11

St 47 —

11

55 04

D First Quarter 15th 7:50pm. | ist

9:04am. | 15th

11 48 56

*Subtract hour(s) for other time zones 22nd 11 -th for C.S.T, -2h for M.ST. -3hforP.S.T. | 29th 12 ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

58

STATES

STATES

45°N. Lat.

35°N. Lat.

75°W. Long.

75°W. Long.

OR

MERIDI PASSAG

Algenib mer. 7:28 p.m. Rigel mer. 12:31 a.m. Enif sets 11:29 p.m. Chanukah; Orion mer. 12:43 a.m.

Algol mer. 10:12 p.m. Menkar mer. 10:01 p.m.; @ ri. 3:30 a.m. Pearl Harbor Day; Sirius mer. 1:41 a.m. Conception B.V.M.; Moon apo. 6:00 a.m.

Capella mer.1200am//I11: 56pm; $11.536am.Y} 3 Achernar mer, 8:18 p.m. Vega sets 10:07 p.m. GC’ sets 8:33 p.m.; Altair sets 8:57 p.m. Geminid Meteors all night Castor mer. 2:01 a.m. Ember Day; Deneb sets 12:57 a.m. Hyades mer. 11:00 p.m. Ember Day; 2} sets 2:19 a.m. Ember Day; $ combust 2} ) cl. 2:17a.m.|¥

Sunday of Advent- December 19, 1999 Rasalgethi ri. 4:34 a.m.; h) cl. 3:29 a.m. Delphinus sets 11:00 p.m. Pollux mer. 1:48 a.m. 2) sta. Winter 2:44 a.m. EST; Per. Full Moon 6:00 a.m. Bellatrix mer. 11:14 p.m. Orion’s Belt mer. 11:25 p.m.; hsets 3:08 a.m. £2 Christmas Day; Regulus mer. 3:53 a.m. Algol in eclipse 8:54 p.m. Pollux mer. 1:22 a.m. Betelgeuse mer. 11:28 p.m. Zubenelgenubi ri. 3:15 a.m. Procyon mer. 1:04 a.m. New Year’s Eve; Gacrux mer. 5:51 a.m. BIRTHSTONE: Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli or Zircon, symbol of success and

DECEMBER BIRTHDATES

oe

FLOWER: Narcissus or Holly |

DECEMBER EVENTS

5— Martin Van Buren

25 — Clara Barton

7 — Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, 1941

5 — Walt Disney

27 — Louis Pasteur

14 -— George Washington died, 1799

14 - James Doolittle 16 —Ludwig van Beethoven 21 — Joseph Stalin

29 — Charles Goodyear 29 — Andrew Johnson 29 - William Gladstone

16 — Boston Tea Party, 1773 17 — First airplane flight, 1903 18 - Slavery abolished, 1865

8 — Eli Whitney

98

28 — Woodrow Wilson

15 — Bill of Rights adopted, 1791

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

DECEMBER

1999 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE 1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Major storm spreads in from the West, bringing heavy snow (6 -12"). 4th-7th. Mostly fair, cold. 8th-11th. Light snow most areas, showers over Mid-Atlantic region, then clearing everywhere. 12th-15th. Sunny skies. 16th-19th. Stormy, with another dose of heavy snow (612"), then fair, cold. 20th-23rd. Light snow, then fair, cold. 24th-27th. Fair, very cold for the Christmas holiday. 28th-31st. A final storm before we ring in 2000: more heavy snow (12"'+) New England; heavy dose of mixed precipitation Mid-Atlantic region, then clearing, very cold entire region for New Year’s Eve. .

ZONE 2 ¢ GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. Major storm clears Illinois, Michigan area; clearing skies, unseasonably cold. 4th-7th. Fair skies give way to clouds. 8th-11th. Light snow, then turning fair. 12th-1 5th. Stormy weather sweeps in from the West, bringing heavy snow. 1 6th-1 9th. Cold, blustery. 20th-23rd. Light snow, then fair, cold. 24th-27th. Fair at first, then intensifying storm from Southwest States spreads heavy snow into region. 28th-31st. Big winter storm exits via the Ohio River Valley, leaving 12"+ in its wake; fair, very cold New Year's Eve.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES " 1st-3rd. Some snow Tennessee River Valley, then clearing, unseasonably cold temperatures down to Gulf Coast; windy, rainy across rest of the Southeast. 4th-7th. Mostly fair, cold. 8th11th. Showers, then fair. 12th-15th. Sunny to partly cloudy skies. 16th-19th. Rain along Gulf Coast, then fair, cold. 20th-23rd. Showers, then clearing skies. 24th-27th. Hope you're dreamin’ of a cold Christmas: fair and very cold with frosts as far south as the Gulf Coast. 28th31st. 1999 ends on a wet, cold note: rain, thunderstorms Gulf Coast, then fair skies. Frosts down to Florida.

ZONE 4 ¢ NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Intense storm exits to east, turns bitter cold. 4th-7th. Flurries Rockies, Plains. 8th11th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Storm sweeps in from the West. 16th-19th. Blustery winds. 20th23rd. Light snow, then clearing. 24th-27th. Dreaming of a white Christmas? You might get your wish: fair skies, then intensifying storm out of the Southwest States spreads a heavy blanket of snow (up to a foot) across much of this region. 28th-31st. Clearing skies, cold as 99 comes to aclose.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Intense storm exits to the east, turns bitter cold down to Gulf Coast. 4th-7th. Wet New Mexico, Texas. 8th-1 1th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Stormy weather sweeps in from the West. 16th-1 9th. Rain along Gulf Coast, then fair, cold; dry with a gusty, cold wind rest of region. 20th23rd. Light snow, then clearing. 24th-27th. Fair, then intensifying storm spreads mix of snow, sleet, rain. 28th-31st. Thunderstorms Gulf Coast, then fair; clearing skies elsewhere, cold as

year ends. |

ZONE 6 ¢ NORTHWESTERN STATES ~

1st-3rd. Clearing skies. 4th-7th. Fair, then showery. 8th-11th. Fair skies return. 12th-15th. Stormy. 16th-19th. Storm departs, turns blustery. 20th-23rd. Showers Washington. 24th27th. An unsettled Christmas holiday. 28th-31st. 1999 ends on a clearing, colder note.

ZONE7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Clearing skies, windy, chilly. 4th-7th. Showers, wet from West Coast, points east. 8th11th. Fair weather. 12th-15th. Stormy weather pushes in from Pacific. 16th-19th. Blustery. 20th-23rd. Some rain or snow, then clearing. 24th-27th. Stormy Christmas: developing storm over Southwest spreads snow across most areas, with up to a foot possible; rain along coast. 28th31st: Clearing, cold as year comes to a close.

‘2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

99

1st Month

Capricorn MOON’S PHASES Eastern Time

@ ® © @

NewMoon 6th First Quarter 14th FullMoon 20th Last Quarter 28th

1:13p.m. 8:34a.m. 11:40p.m. 2:56a.m.

Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

SUN ON MERIDIAN CIVIL TIME D. H. M. ; Ist 12 08 17* 8th 12 06 28

15th

12

22nd

12 = 11

-th for C.S.T. -2hforM.S.T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th

DAYS

12

09 13

Calendar for

Calendar for

isq 26 02

NORTHERN STATES

SOUTHERN STATES

45°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

35°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

PLACE MOON’S

$ MERIDI PASSAG MOON’S = SOUTHING

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

PT[ Se[NewYearsBay;Canopusmer11pm [Tl]736|420|az]706|450|220]810] 7

Las 8h ana)Twith fim ae 9h52m- Twith30m

lene 2000

Scheat sets 12:09 a.m. @ at perihelion 1:00am. 9) cl. 4:26 a.m. Fomalhaut sets 8:09 p.m.; ) apo. 7:00 a.m. Leo ri. 8:54 p.m. y Epiphany (Epis.); 9 ri. 4:33 a.m. Spica ri. 12:53 a.m. Alpheratz sets 12:55 a.m. op }con] MOIS a C3|e Baptism of Jesus; Job’sCoffin sets 8:30 p.m. Capella mer. 9:53p.m. ©’) cl. 4:37 p.m. Enif sets 9:01 p.m. Seven Sisters mer. 8:16 p.m.; 0 sets 8:35 p.m. Hyades mer. 9:00 p.m. Algol mer. 7:29 p.m. Menkar mer. 7:20 p.m.

El Nath mer. 9:02 p.m. M.L. King, Jr., Birthday (obs.) Beehive Cluster mer. 12:52 a.m.; 2| sets 12:21 am. Total Lunar Eclipse 11:44 p.m. Regulus mer. 2:08 a.m.

Zubenelgenubi ri. 1:36 a.m. Alphard mer. 1:16 a.m. Yo® Canis Minor mer. 11:15 p.m.; hsets 1:01 am. Betelgeuse mer. 9:29 p.m. Pollux mer. 11:18 p.m. Castor mer. 11:00 p.m. Arcturus ri. 10:29 p.m.

5. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - January 30, 2000 30 Solar activity near max. in 11-year cycle

vay9h3m - Twi.1h 42m

L| 1:22") 5:05") 2:33: | 7:00") 5:27 4 212 31)|M 0| Sirius (DogStar) mer. 10:00 p.m.; ))apo. 8:00 pm. “| 7:21 | 5:06 | 3:31] 7:00 | 5:28 | 3:06}

| sae 8:21 |

BIRTHSTONE: Garnet, symbol of constancy and fidelity FLOWER: Carnation or Snowdrop

JANUARY BIRTHDATES 1- Paul Revere, Betsy Ross 6 — Joan of Arc

21 — Stonewall Jackson 26 — Douglas MacArthur

11 - Alexander Hamilton 12 —John Hancock 17 — Benjamin Franklin

27 — Wolfgang Mozart 29 = William McKinley

100

30 — Franklin D. Roosevelt

a

JANUARY EVENTS 1 - Emancipation Proclamation, 1863

7— 16 — 24 — 28 —

First Presidential Election, 1789 Civil Service System established, 1883. Gold discovered in California, 1848 Challenger explodes, 1986

|

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

_

JANUARY 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 ¢ NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies prevail. 4th-7th. Some light snow, then clearing. Wet Mid-Atlantic region. 8th-11th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Stormy weather, then fair, colder. 16th-19th. Showers Mid-Atlantic region; light snow north. 20th-23rd. Clear to partly cloudy, cold. 24th-27th. A series of storms move in from the Southwest, bringing 6" to 12" of snow to New England, less-

er amounts to the south. 28th-31st. Showery, especially for Mid-Atlantic region.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. Light snow. 4th-7th. Light snow continues, then clearing. 8th-11th. Heavy snowfall: 8" to 12" most areas. 12th-15th. Clearing skies, cold. 16th-19th. Light snow, flurries. 20th-23rd. Clouding up with blizzard-like conditions evolving. 24th-27th. Clearing skies accompanied by blustery winds. 28th-31st. Fair skies, then wet weather.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, pleasant. 4th-7th. Showery. 8th-11th. Wet weather continues; mild Georgia, Florida. 12th-15th. Rain, thunderstorms over Gulf Coast clear to the east, then fair, cold. ’ 16th-19th. Showers, then clearing, very cold with frosts down into Florida. 20th-23rd. - Mostly clear, unseasonably cold. 24th-27th. A series of storms move in from Texas, then fair, much colder. 28th-31st. Showers Gulf Coast, all points north; wet weather in Atlanta coincides with Super Bowl XXXIV.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Milder, then light snow from Rockies to Kansas, Nebraska. 4th-7th. Mostly fair. 8th-11th. Heavy snow (8" to 12") from the Rockies through the Plains. 12th-15th. Mostly fair, cold. 16th-19th. Light snow. 20th-23rd. Stormy with blizzard-like conditions spreading east across the Plains. 24th-27th. Mixed sun, clouds accompanied by cold winds. 28th31st. Fair, then wet weather.

ZONE 5 e SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Mixed rain, snow parts of New Mexico; rain Texas. 4th-7th. Pleasant temperatures; mostly fair. 8th-11th. Stormy conditions. 12th-15th. Rain, thunderstorms Texas, Louisiana coasts clear away, then fair, cold; mostly fair, cold elsewhere. 16th-19th. Mixed rain, snow

parts of New Mexico; showers elsewhere. 20th-23rd. Stormy conditions. 24th-27th. A series of storms move from Texas across the Southeast then fair, colder conditions. 28th31st. Showery Texas, Louisiana coasts, then clearing. Sunny to partly cloudy elsewhere.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Showery, milder. 4th-7th. Mostly fair. 8th-11th. Severe Pacific disturbances move inland bringing heavy rain to the coast, valley sections, heavy snow higher terrain areas. 12th-15th. Mostly fair, cold. 16th-19th. Gusty winds; scattered showers. 20th-23rd. Fair, _ pleasant conditions quickly give way to unsettled conditions. 24th-27th. Clearing skies; gusty winds. 28th-31st. Fair, then turning wet.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Rain coastal sections, valleys; snow higher terrain regions. 4th-7th. Mostly fair, pleasant temperatures, especially for California. 8th-11th. Severe Pacific storms sweep in, bringing a dose of heavy precipitation; heavy snow falls over higher terrain regions. 12th15th. Mostly fair, cold. 16th-19th. Showery conditions; gusty winds, especially along California coast. 20th-23rd. Turning very unsettled. 24th-27th. Blustery winds accompanied by a clearing trend. 28th-31st. Fair at first, but the month ends on a wet note.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

:

101

2nd Month

Aquarius

ei5th @ NewMoon

80am

|D.

® First Quarter 12th

6:21 p.m.

Ist)

12) - 13: oh

11:26 a.m.

8th

12

22nd

12

MOON’S PHASES

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19th

26th

cater H M SXte ee eee

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10:53pm.|

Subtract hour(s) for othertime zones

15th

12

-th for C.ST. -2hfor MST. -3hforPST. | 29th 12 DAYS ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

14

11

13

35

A5°N

14 11° 12

Lat.

35°N

75°W. Long.

Lat.

75°W. Long.

MOON’S eoerene PASSA MERIDI

29

Phecda mer. 3:09 a.m. Purification; Groundhog Day Alphard mer. 12:37 a.m. Aldebaran mer. 7:38 p.m. Partial Solar a 7:49 a.m.

8%cl. 5:53 p.m.

Acrux mer. 3:18 a.m.; 2 ri. 5:24 a.m.

6oO|H

Boy Scouts Day; sets 6:43pm. Do cl.4:56 p.m. |r Praesepe mer. 11:22 p.m. Capella mer. 7:55 p.m. )2! cl. 11:03 p.m.|'0 Procyon mer. 10:13 p.m.; Dh cl. 10:21 p.m. CO sets 8:33 p.m.

Aldebaran cl. 11:15 p.m. St. Valentine’s Day; Regulus mer. 12:34 a.m.

Sirius mer. 9:03 p.m.

8gr,LE.el A

Betelgeuse mer. 8:10 p.m.; ) per.“10:00 p.m. False Cross mer. 10:33 p.m. 9 21 sets 10:40 p.m.

Hydra’s Head mer. 10:49 p.m.

SEEBeeR

8. Seventh Sunday after Epiphany-February 20, 2000 un10h42m-TW1h38m Alnilam mer. 7:37 Presidents’ Day; ae combust Elnath mer. 7:14 p.m. Castor mer. 9:21 p.m.

Adhara mer. 8:42 p.m.; h sets 11:11 p.m. Dubhe mer. 12:46 a.m. Pollux mer. 9:20 p.m.

9. Eighth Sunday of Epiphany - February 27, 2000

UbeithOm Twith 37m

27 | Su | Algol sets 1:48 a.m.

6:41 | 5:44 | 1:21]

6:32 | 5:54 | 12:57)

6:15

28 | Mo! Berenice’s Hair mer. 2:09 a.m.; ) apo. 4:00 ees Z 6:40 | 5:46 | 2:18] 29 | Tu | Leap Year Day 6:39 | 5:47 | 3:11}

6:31 | 5:55 | 1:51] 6:30 | 5:55 | 2:43)

7:02 7:50 |

BIRTHSTONE: Amethyst, symbol

a oe

FEBRUARY BIRTHDATES

FLOWER: Violet or Primrose

FEBRUARY EVENTS

3-— Horace Greeley

15 — Galileo

4— Yalta Conference began, 1945

4 — Charles Lindbergh 6— Babe Ruth 7 — Charles Dickens

21 - Cardinal Newman 22 — George Washington 25 — Enrico Caruso

6 — Spanish-American war ended, 1899 8 — Boy Scouts incorporated, 1910 9 — U.S. Weather Bureau established, 1870

9 — William Harrison 11-—Thomas Edison 12 — Abraham Lincoln 15 —Susan B. Anthony

26 — Victor Hugo 27 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

19 — Battle of Iwo-Jima, 1945 20-U.S. Mail established, 1792 25 — Income Tax established, 1913

102

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

FEBRUARY 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 ¢ NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Any rain moves out, then fair, cold. 4th-7th. Fair weather holds, especially over New England. 8th-11th. Snow significant accumulations. 20th-23rd. Snow sweeps heavy (6" to 12") then fair,

spreads from Mid-Atlantic north to New England States, bringing 12th-15th. Light snow, then fair skies. 16th-19th. Fair skies. up from Mid-Atlantic region to the rest of the Northeast; turning cold. 24th-29th. Scattered flurries, especially over New England.

ZONE2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST : Ist-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Powerful storm from the West brings heavy snowfall; a foot or more to Great Lakes. 8th-11th. Snow, parts of Kentucky, Ohio with significant accumulations possible, then clearing, cold. Clear, much colder elsewhere. 12th-15th. Flurries, especially for Great Lakes. 16th-19th. Fair skies are replaced by stormy conditions spreading in from the East. 20th-23rd. Some light snow/flurries might graze parts ofpee: Fair elsewhere. 24th-29th. Snow flurries, chiefly over Great Lakes.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN 1st-3rd. Few showers, | . Snow, Tennessee, the snow/sleet/rain parts Clearing, turning very |

STATES then turning fair, colder. 4th-7th. Generally fair, milder. 8th-11th. mountains of North Carolina with possible accumulations; mixed of northern Mississippi, Alabama. Elsewhere, a chilly rain falls. cold all sections by the 11th, with frosts threatening Florida. 12th-

15th. Wet, then fair skies. 16th-19th. Fair weather continues. 20th-23rd. Snow, Tennessee, parts of North Carolina with possible accumulations, then fair, cold. 24th-29th. _ Showery, then fair, colder; widespread frosts.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair weather prevails. 4th-7th. Powerful storm from Pacific pushes heavy snowfall across parts of Rockies, Plains States. 8th-11th. Drier, but turning much colder. 12th-15th. Flurries for Plains, points east. 16th-19th. Fair at first, then stormy over the Rockies through Dakotas, Nebraska area, points east. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair. 24th-29th. Milder, then some snow Rockies, Plains; then fair, colder weather.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Snow, parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas. 8th-11th. Snow, parts of Arkansas, then clearing, cold; clear, much colder elsewhere. 12th-15th. Scattered rain, wet snow. 16th-19th. Fair skies give way to stormy conditions. 20th-23rd. Mainly fair. 24th-29th. Light snow, Southern Plains to Texas; showers along Texas, Louisiana coasts, then fair, colder; widespread frosts.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair weather. 4th-7th. Powerful storm pushes in across Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy rain to coastal sections, valleys, heavy snow to higher terrain areas. 8th-11th. Drier, but colder. 12th-15th. Gusty winds accompany scattered showers. 16th-19th. Fair, then turning very unsettled. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair. 24th-29th. Milder, with some rain showers; some snow over higher elevations.

ZONE7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. A spell of generally fair, tranquil weather. 4th-7th. Gusty winds; snow, parts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah. 8th-11th. Drier, but noticeably colder. 12th-15th. Showery/windy. 16th-19th. Fair, then stormy weather develops. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair weather returns. 24th-29th. Milder, then some rain or over higher terrain areas snow, then clearing, colder conditions.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

103

3rd Month

moon

@ NewMoon

Ne ma

ee

6th

yy

D First Quarter 13th 1:58am. | ist

12

12 18

© FullMoon

12

10 44

11:44pm.}

p

8th

© Last Quarter :27th 7:20pm. | 15th 12 Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

22nd

=th for C.S.T. -2hforM.S1. -3hforP.ST. | 29th DAYS

12

12

Calendar for

IAN

yy

19th

12:16am]

Sy

06

04

SOUTHERN

STATES

STATES

a

45°N. Lat.

08 51°

°

75°W. Long.

48

Calendar‘for

NORTHERN

35°N. Lat.

75°W. Long.

PASSA MERIDI

41

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

Me

id; i : Milk Maid’s Dipper ri. 3:50 a.m. 3 aE Aquila ri. 2:34 a.m. A | Sa | Vega ri. 11:01 p.m.

10. Ninth Sunday after Epiphany-March 5, 2000 Bellatrix sets 12:56 a.m. Gemini mer. 8:14 p.m.; 9 ri. 5:30 a.m. Shrove Tuesday; Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday; Southern Cross mer. 1:24 a.m. Capella sets 4:17 a.m. 2D cl. 4:31 p.m. Procyon mer. 8:25 p.m. Regulus mer. 10:48 p.m. Su | Girl Scouts Day; c’ sets 8:29 p.m. Mo} Spica mer. 1:57 p.m. Tu | Deneb ri. 11:25 p.m.; ) per. 7:00 p.m. We | Ember Day; Ides of March Th | Canis Minor sets 2:23 a.m. Fr | Ember Day; St. Patrick’s Day Sa | Ember Day; 2} sets 9:14 p.m.

:

6: 02 :

12:19 | 6:15 : 2

6:6

5:37| 6:06

Denebola mer. 12:03 a.m./11:59 p.m. Fast of Esther; Vernal Equinox at 2:35 am. EST Purim; Praesepe mer. 8:30 p.m. Hyades sets 11:30 p.m. Antares (Rival of Mars) ri. 12:00 am./11:56 p.m. Hamal sets 9:23 p.m.; h sets 9:30 p.m. Annunciation Day; Libra mer. 2:54 a.m. Orion’s Belt sets 11:15 p.m. Pollux mer. 7:26 p.m.; )) apo. 12:00 p.m.

CorCaroli mer. 12:32 a.m.

Ser. W.el.y

Sirius sets 11:21 p.m. Algol sets 11:47 p.m. Altair ri. 12:42'a.m.

23

i

MARCH BIRTHDATES 3— Alexander Graham Bell 18 —- Grover Cleveland 8 — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. 19 — David Livingstone 14 — Albert Einstein 21—Johann Sebastian Bach

MARCH EVENTS 1 - First U.S. Bank established, 1780 |. 2—- U.S. Board of Education established, 1867 } | 12 - U.S. Post Office established, 1789 |

15 — Andrew Jackson

24 — Andrew Mellon

12 — Girl Scouts founded, 1912

16 —James Madison

31 -Joseph Haydn

13 - Standard Time established in U.S., 1884

|

i

104

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

|

MARCH 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE 1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies, milder. 4th-7th. Stormy weather rapidly moves through, then fair skies return. 8th-11th. Fair weather continues. 12th-15th. Light rain, especially across Pennsylvania, New York; showers Mid-Atlantic region, then fair rest of the region. 16th 19th. Showers, heavy thunderstorms. 20th-23rd. Fair, pleasant. 24th-27th. Showers accompanied by gusty winds, then a return to fair weather. 28th-31st. Fair, but cold.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST . 1st-3rd. Fair weather; moderating temperatures. 4th-7th. Stormy weather most sections; thunderstorms rapidly roll east through Wisconsin, Michigan, points east, then clearing. 8th11th. Fair at first, then becoming unsettled; especially over Great Lakes. 12th-15th. Fair, windy. 16th-19th. Showers, heavy thunderstorms, particularly over Great Lakes. 20th23rd. Mostly fair, cold. 24th-27th. Showery, windy, then fair. 28th-31st. Sunshine, then

increasingly cloudy. ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Stormy, then a return to fair weather. 8th-11th. Showery |

along Gulf Coast; fair elsewhere. 12th-15th. Showers, Florida, Georgia, points north, then ’ clearing trend. 16th-19th. Heavy rain. 20th-23rd. Fair. 24th-27th. Light rain, then turning fair, cold. 28th-31st. Fair; still cold.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Wet, Plains States. 4th-7th. Stormy across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, as well as parts of Nebraska, Dakotas, then fair all areas. 8th-1 1th. Fair initially, then becoming

unsettled. 12th-15th. Fair, windy. 16th-19th. Stormy weather spreads east across Plains. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair, cold, but turning unsettled over Rockies by the 23rd. 24th-27th. Light rain, Rockies; showers accompanied by gusty breezes elsewhere, then clearing all areas. 28th-31st. Stormy weather gradually spreads in from the West; heavy thunderstorms for Kansas.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, Texas, points east. 4th-7th. Stormy conditions, especially Oklahoma to Gulf Coast, then fair; clearing hopefully in New Orleans for Mardi Gras time. 8th-11th. Showers for Texas, Louisiana coasts; generally fair elsewhere. 12th-15th. Fair skies; gusty winds.

16th-19th. Stormy weather sweeps across the region. 20th-23rd. Fair/cold. 24th-27th. Light rain, especially Texas. 28th-31st. Showery, New Mexico, Texas; heavy thunderstorms,

Oklahoma. ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Very unsettled. 4th-7th. Fair skies, 8th-11th. Fair at first, but unsettled conditions return. 12th-15th. Fair skies, gusty winds; a major storm moves inland from Pacific by the | 15th. 16th-19th. Stormy at first, then fair. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair, chilly, then turning unsettled by the 23rd. 24th-27th. Showery at first, then fair, chilly. 28th-31st. Stormy weather spreads in from the Pacific.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Stormy conditions; squally California. 4th-7th. Fair skies. 8th-11th. Fair at first, then turning windy, wet. 12th-15th. Fair skies are displaced when a major Pacific storm system moves in by the 15th. 16th-19th. Fair weather returns. 20th-23rd. Fair, then unsettled conditions. 24th-27th. Clearing skies. 28th-31st. Once again, stormy weather spreads east from the Pacific.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

105

4th Month

moors, Fanet> @® NewMoon 4th ® First Quarter 11th

1:12pm 8:30 a.m.

© FullMoon

12:41pm.!

18th

N rie MERIDIAN Seat

Calendar for

Calendar for

|p Ist

HM S. 12 08 47

NORTHERN STATES

ped

8th

12

01 47

22nd

11

58

26

-lhfor C.S.T. -2hforM.S.T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th

11

57

17

© Last Quarter 26th 2:30pm. | 15th 11 Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

45°N. Lat.

59 58:

°|

75°W. Long. SOUTHING MOON’S

PLACE MOON’S

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

|1 |Sa_|April Fool'sDay;FalseCrossmer.7:44p.m.[==[5:41|6:28| 14. Fourth Sunday of Lent- April 2, 2000

L/Day 12h 50m-Twi1h 43m

Daylight Saving Time begins 2:00 a.m. Alphard mer. 8:37 p.m. Q)) cl. 5:09 a.m.

Denebola mer. 10:54 p.m.; 9 ri. 4:50 a.m. Shaula ri. 1:13 a.m.; 11. 5:06 a.m. Oo

cl. 6:00 p.m. Dhl. 7:11 p.m.

Nunki ri. 1:32 a.m. poe sets 11:12 p.m.; ) per. 5:00 p.m. | IL Phecda mer. 10:30p p.m. Mizar (Horse and Rider) mer. 12:09 a.m. A Triangle of o’ 2{h sets 8:08 p.m. Merak mer. 9:35 p.m.; oO" sets 8:22 p.m. Rasalhague ri. 9:26 p.m. Megrez mer. 10:41 p.m. ) Regulus cl. 2:51 a.m. Messier 13 mer. 3:07 a.m.

2 sombest Patriot's Paschal Be Moon; 2 Rent Zubenelgenubi mer. 1:00 a.m. First Day of Passover; Holy Thursday Good Friday; Procyon sets 12:03 a.m./11:59 p.m. Alphecca mer. 1:32 a.m.; h sets 7:53 p.m.

combust; ) apo. 7:00 a.m. tair ri. 11:00 p.m.

We | Cor Caroli mer. 10:34 p.m. Th | Alioth mer. 10:28 p.m. Alkaid mer. 11:18 p.m. Algol sets 9:49 p.m.

18. Second Sunday of Easter - April 30, 2000

[30[Su|GreekOrthodox Baster

aa ith13m-Twith Sim L/Day 13h 3m-Twi th3im

BIRTHSTONE: Diamond, symbol of innocence

APRIL BIRTHDATES 2—- Hans Christian Andersen 25 - Guglielmo Marconi 5 — Booker T. Washington 25 — Oliver Cromwell 10 — Joseph Pulitzer 26 — John Audubon 12 - Henry Clay 27 —- Samuel Morse 13 —-Thomas Jefferson 27 — Ulysses S. Grant 15 — Leonardo da Vinci 28 —James Monroe 23 — William Shakespeare 29 — Duke of Wellington

106

|

px]#51|704]328]50]645]319]ono]

.

FLOWER: Sweet Pea or Daisy

APRIL EVENTS 2 - First U.S. Mint established, 1792 12 - Civil War began, 1861 18 — Paul Revere’s ride, 1775 19 — Revolutionary War began, 1775 24 — Spanish-American War began, 1898 24-Library of Congress established, 1880

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

APRIL 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE 1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Squally conditions, then fair, cold weather. 4th-7th. A spell of pleasant spring weather. 8th-1 1th. Showers, then fair again. 12th-15th. Squally, then fair. 16th-19th. Mostly fair skies. 20th-23rd. Showers, then clearing; steadier rain fall Virginias, Delaware, Maryland, then fair. 24th-27th. Pleasant, especially over Pennsylvania, New York. 28th-30th. Heavy rain, Pennsylvania, Maryland; very unsettled, New England, with gales along coastal areas.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. Thundery/squally weather Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, then clearing. 4th-7th. Fair, pleasant conditions give way to unsettled weather spreading as far east as Michigan, Illinois by the 7th. 8th-11th. Showers, Ohio River Valley, then fair skies return. 12th-15th. Squally weather, especially Great Lakes. 16th-19th. Mostly fair, pleasant. 20th-23rd. Showers rapidly spread in from the West, then quickly clearing. 24th-27th. Stormy weather arrives by the 27th. 28th-30th. Stormy weather continues.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Thunderstorms, then fair. 4th-7th. Fair, tranquil conditions. 8th-11th. Showery, |- then fair. Showers may fall in Augusta for the final round of the Masters. 12th-15th. Rainy/windy/thundery. 16th-19th. Mostly fair. 20th-23rd. Rain from Gulf Coast north, east through Carolinas, then fair. 24th-27th. Pleasant weather. 28th-30th. Thunderstorms, Gulf Coast, Southeast.

ZONE 4 ¢ NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, cold. 4th-7th. Fair weather gives way to showers across Rockies, Plains. 8th11th. Fair, then turning stormy. 12th-15th. Heavy thunderstorms, Rockies, Plains. 16th19th. Pleasant, then turning unsettled with showers spreading in from the West, across Rocky Mountain States. 20th-23rd. Showers over Plains, then fair skies. 24th-27th. Stormy from Rockies east through Dakotas, Nebraska to Mississippi Valley. 28th-30th. Clearing skies.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Thunder from Texas, all points north, east. 4th-7th. Pleasant across Southern Plains. 8th-11th. Fair at first, then turning very unsettled. 12th-15th. Rain, wind; dangerous thunderstorms for parts of Arkansas, Louisiana. 16th-19th. Pleasant, then turning unsettled. 20th-23rd. Showery, then clearing skies; rainy for Texas, Louisiana coastlines, then turning fair. 24th-27th. Stormy weather. 28th-30th. Thunderstorms, Texas, Louisiana coastlines; elsewhere, skies clear.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, chilly. 4th-7th. Fair weather gives way to unsettled, showery weather. 8th_. 11th. Fair again, but then turning stormy. 12th-15th. Unsettled initially, then clearing. 16th-19th. Fair, pleasant, then it quickly turns unsettled. 20th-23rd. A few showers, then clearing. 24th-27th. Unsettled again. 28th-30th. Gradual clearing.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, quite cool. 4th-7th. Fair at first, then scattered showers. 8th-11th. Dry, clear weather turns stormy. 12th-15th. Unsettled at first, then fair weather returns. 16th-19th. Fair weather once again gives way to unsettled weather. 20th-23rd. Scattered showers, then areturn to dry, clear weather. 24th-27th. Windy for most areas, especially California. 28th30th. Clearing.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

107

5th Month

Taurus Es

een

Pe

H

M.

® First Quarter 10th

3:00pm. | Ist

1d

57

© FullMoon @ Last Quarter

2:34am. 8th 6:55am. | 15th

11 11

56 56

22nd

11

56

3rd 18th 26th

11:12pm]

Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

-th for C.S.T. -2hforM.S.1T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th

DAYS

Calendar for

re a

D.

@ NewMoon

11

pawsitha 45°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

Calendar for

Sens 35°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

MOON'S aoe PASSAG MERIDI

PLACE MOON’S

57

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

Law Day; Sirius sets 9:09 p.m. Aldebaran sets 8:52 p.m. Berenice’s Hair mer. 10:00 p.m. Pollux sets 12:45 a.m. Libra mer. 12:13 a.m. es Canes Venatici mer. 9:55 p.m.; )) per. 4:00 a.m.} TL Arcturus mer 11:12 p.m.

V.E. Day

A

8 sup. g; AgO Q

Regulus sets 1:38 a.m.; o' combust

} sta.

Spica mer. 9:49 p.m Denebola mer. 8:09 p.m.

© 21 only 38 arc seconds apart 5:29 a.m. Albireo mer. 3:45 a.m. Kaus Australis mer. 2:37 a.m.

Lag B’Omer; Pegasus ri. 11:05 p.m. Sabik mer. 1:04 a.m. Deneb mer. 4:34 a.m.

Andromeda Galaxy ri. 11:07 p.m.; 6 sta. Antares mer. 12:12 a.m. Algol ri. 1:39 a.m. Memorial Day; Kochab mer. 10:19 p.m. Mizar mer. 8:48 p.m. i Eltanin mer. 1:20 a.m. 21h cl. 5:00 a.m. BIRTHSTONE: Emerald, symbol of happiness FLOWER: Lilyofthe Valley or aatior

MAY BIRTHDATES 2— 5— 6— 6— 8—

108

Catherine the Great Karl Marx Robert E. Peary Sigmund Freud Harry-S. Truman

17 24 25 28 29

— Edward Jenner — Queen Victoria —Ralph Waldo Emerson — William Pitt — Patrick Henry

MAY EVENTS 16-— 7— 14 — 21 —

Battle of Manila Bay, 1898 Hindenburg blew up, 1937 Lusitania sunk, 1915 Jamestown established, 1607 Red Cross established, 1881

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

|

MAY 2000 WEATHER FORECAST ZONE1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Mostly fair skies. 4th-7th. Light showers, then fair skies. 8th-11th. A pleasant spell. 12th-15th. Thunderstorms sweep east to Mid-Atlantic coast, then clearing skies. 16th-19th. Showers, then fair, cool weather; windy, rainy conditions, Virginia, Maryland, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Fair skies; fine weather for Preakness. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms, Mid-Atlantic States, then clearing, cool conditions; squally New England, then fair skies. 28th-31st. Mostly fair skies.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST . Ist-3rd. Clear to partly cloudy. 4th-7th. Light showers, then fair. Showers should exit Louisville in time for Kentucky Derby. 8th-11th. Heavy rain spreads into Great Lakes. 12th15th. Thunderstorms from Kentucky, Tennessee area to Ohio River Valley. 16th-19th. Showers, Great Lakes, then fair, cool. 20th-23rd. Fair, Illinois, Michigan area, all points east. 24th-27th. Squally, Wisconsin, points east, then fair. 28th-31st. Fair weather gives

way to unsettled skies; nonetheless the Indy 500 should be played out under bright skies.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair weather. 4th-7th. Scattered thunderstorms, then fair. 8th-11th. Dry, pleasant |

skies. 12th-15th. Thunderstorms from Tennessee, points east; storm along Gulf Coast. ' 16th-19th. Chilly, showers for Gulf Coast. 20th-23rd. Pleasant weather returns. 24th-

27th. Thunderstorms pop up, then clearing, cool conditions. 28th-31st. Mostly fair. ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Pleasant weather turns unsettled. 4th-7th. Showers clear out over Plains; turning pleasant. Threatening conditions, Colorado, Kansas. 8th-11th. Strong disturbance from the West brings a dose of heavy rain, Rockies to Nebraska, Dakotas region. 12th-1 5th. Pleasant weather returns. 16th-19th. Threatening skies, Colorado, Kansas; elsewhere, unsettled at first, then clearing conditions. 20th-23rd. Fair initially, but then turning stormy. 24th27th. Clearing skies, but unseasonably cold. 28th-31st. Fair at first, then some rain Plains

States, points east. ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Dry, fair weather deteriorates to unsettled conditions. 4th-7th. Threatening skies for northern portions of New Mexico, Texas Panhandle, all of Oklahoma. 8th-11th. Stormy most sections. 12th-15th. Lingering storminess along Texas/Louisiana coasts; fair, pleasant elsewhere. 16th-19th. Once again, skies threaten over parts of northern New Mexico, Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma; showery for most of the region, then fair, cool weather. Chilly Gulf Coast.

20th-23rd. Starting off fair, but stormy weather rapidly spreads in from the West. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms bubble up over Texas, points east, then clearing, cool conditions. Elsewhere, clearing skies, but unseasonably chilly. 28th-31st. Fair at first, then turning unsettled.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Pleasant, then turning unsettled. 4th-7th. Showers, then clearing skies. 8th-11th. Strong disturbance arrives from Pacific: windy/wet. 12th-15th. Dry, pleasant. 16th-19th. Unsettled; scattered showers, then partial clearing. 20th-23rd. More clouds than sun. 24th27th. Skies clear, but quite cool. 28th-31st. Turning unsettled.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, then unsettled. 4th-7th. Threatening conditions, Nevada, Utah, parts of northern Arizona; any showers eventually clear, turning pleasant. 8th-11th. Strong disturbance pushes in from the Pacific: windy along Pacific Coast; stormy. 12th-15th. Tranquil, pleasant. 16th-19th. Unsettled; showers most areas, then clearing. 20th-23rd. Fair skies to start, but quickly turning stormy again. 24th-27th. Clearing, accompanied by an unseasonable chill. 28th-31st. Fair weather gives way to windy/showery weather. =

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

109

6th Month

j

;

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f

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7:14am. | D.

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11

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12

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-th for C.S.T. -2h for M.S.T. -3hforP.ST. | 29th DAYS

12

O01

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59

27

A5°N. Lat. 75°W. Long. PLACE MOON’S

OR

35°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

Moon | Sun

Sun Moon

MOON'S SOUTHING PASSAG MERIDI

rises | rises

Th | Ascension Day; Zubeneschamali mer. 10:39 p.m.

Arcturus mer. 9:28 p.m.; & sets 9:10 p.m. ) per. 8:00 a.m.; 56 cl, 9:12 p.m.

Shavuot; Alphecca mer. 10:19pm. Sabik mer. 11:51 p.m.

ce

49

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

Graffias mer. 11:10 p.m. Rasalhague mer. 12:39 a.m. Antares mer. 11:26 p.m. Altair mer, 2:49 a.m. Greek Orthodox Ascension Day

Rei

Calendar for

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59 03

12

2

ea

eran ee IAN

ON See

@ NewMoon

© FullMoon

ypu

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aed

3:55 | 4:47 sets | 4:47 9:06 | 4:47

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§ gr.E.el ™|

L/Day 15h34m-Twi.2h3m

L/Day1h 28mBhar toe

Children’s Day Job’s Coffin mer. 3:10 a.m. Scheat ri. 9:53 p.m. Ember Day; Flag Day Eltanin mer. 12:21 a.m. Ember Day; Menkar ri. 3:12 a.m. Ember oe Shaula mer. 11:46 p.m.

Summer Triangle Summer Solstice 8:47p.m. EST Kaus Australis mer. 12:25 a.m. Enif mer. 3:44 a.m. Albireo mer. 1:24 a.m.

St. John the Baptist; hri. 2:23 am.; $ combust

Algol ri. 11:27 p.m. Spica sets 12:15 a.m.

2— Thomas Hardy 3 — Jefferson Davis 5 — Socrates

6— Nathan Hale

JUNE BIRTHDATES 9 — Cole Porter 10 — Prince Philip 24 -E. I. DuPont

8 — Frank Lloyd Wright 9 — Peter the Great

110

26 — Pearl S. Buck

JUNE EVENTS 6 — D-Day, 1944 15 — Magna Carta adopted, 1215 17 — Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775

18 — Napoleon defeated, 1815

27 —Helen Keller

23 — U.S. Secret Service established, 1860

28 — King Henry VIII

25 — Custer’s last stand, 1876

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

JUNE 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE 1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Some showers, then fair skies. 4th-7th. Remaining fair. 8th-11th. Big thunderstorms rumble across New York, Pennsylvania, through the rest of the Northeast, then turning fair. Thunderstorms threaten Belmont Stakes. 12th-15th. Showers spread rapidly in from the West; thunderstorms, Mid--Atlantic region, then clearing. 16th-19th. Pleasant, tranquil. 20th-23rd. Dangerous thunderstorms, hail, high winds, even an isolated tornado across New England; big thunderstorms Mid-Atlantic States, then fair for all. 24th-27th. A hot spell: many 90s. 28th-30th. pedieree showers, Mid-Atlantic region; thunder, New

England, then turning fair.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST Ist-3rd. Rain, showers, especially Ohio River Valley. 4th-7th. Potent thunderstorms,

|

Michigan, Illinois, by the 7th. 8th-11th. Few lingering showers. 12th-15th. Showers rapidly spread in from the West, then just as rapidly move out. 16th-19th. Fair, then increasingly cloudy skies. 20th-23rd. Dangerous thunderstorms capable of producing hail, high winds, even an isolated tornado or two, especially over Great Lakes region, then clearing. 24th-27th. A hot spell, with temperatures soaring well into the 90s to even near 100; eventually broken by scattered showers. 28th-30th. Thundery, especially Ohio River Valley, then clearing.

ZONE 3 © SGUTHEASTERN STATES Ist-3rd. Scattered rain showers, then clearing. 4th-7th. Fair weather holds. 8th-11th. Gusty thunderstorms, especially across Gulf Coast, then fair. 12th-15th. Thunderstorms, then clearing. 16th-19th. Tranquil. 20th-23rd. Squally Gulf Coast; big storms rest of the - Southeast. 24th-27th. Hazy, hot, humid. 28th-30th.

Scattered showers, then turning fair.

ZONE 4 ¢ NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fine, dry weather. 4th-7th. Potent thunderstorms, Rockies, Plains. 8th-11th. Windy weather for Nebraska, Kansas, points west. 12th-15th. Showery conditions rapidly spread east through the Dakotas, points east, then clearing. 16th-19th. Fair, then turning stormy over the Rockies. 20th-23rd. Dangerous thunderstorms, capable of producing hail, high winds, even an isolated tornado or two, sweep east from the Plains, then a clearing trend. 24th-27th. Lots of heat: many 90s, 100s, temporarily broken by showers out of Colorado. 28th-30th. Hot weather persists.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Rain, showers Texas, points east; fair, dry elsewhere. 4th-7th. Thunderstorms roll out of New Mexico over Texas. 8th-11th. Gusty thunderstorms, Texas, Louisiana coasts, then fair. 12th-15th. Light rain, Southern Plains. 16th-19th. Fair, then turning very unsettled. 20th-23rd. Squally Texas, points east, then clearing. 24th-27th. Hot, many 90s, 100s; chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm. 28th-30th. Scattered showers, Arkansas, Louisiana, then fair. Remaining hot elsewhere.

_ LONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fine weather. 4th-7th. Unsettled conditions. 8th-11th. Gusty winds. 12th-15th. Showery. 16th-19th. Fair skies deteriorate to stormy conditions. 20th-23rd. Fair weather returns. 24th-27th. Unseasonable warmth, then showery, Washington, Oregon. 28th-30th. Still quite warm.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair, dry. 4th-7th. Scattered showers, thunderstorms. 8th-11th. Drier, with a gusty breeze. 12th-15th. Unsettled weather spreads east from the California coast. 16th19th. Fair initially, then it turns stormy. 20th-23rd. Fair skies return. 24th-27th. Hot, dry. 28th-30th. Remaining hot, dry.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

111

7th Month

MOON’S PHASES Eastern Time

SUN ON MERIDIAN CIVIL TIME

Calendar for

Calendar for

@ NewMoon ist ® First Quarter 8th © FullMoon 16th

2:19pm. | p 7:52 a.m. 1 8:55a.m. S|

pf

y sg \ 03 51

NORTHERN STATES

SOUTHERN STATES

@ NewMoon

9:25pm. | 15th

12 12

05 04

45°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

35°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

12

06

€ Last Quarter 24th 30th

6:02am. | 8th

Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

22nd

-thfor CST. -2hforM.ST. -3hforPST. | 29th 12 ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

DAYS

05 56 06

24

24

OR

PLACE MOON’S

SOUTHING MOON'S = $ MERIDI PASSAG

Paral SinEig Pargapm GLOA|SL At?[751 |2750]450] 748|485] 1057| L/Day1h2m“TW. UDay{th28m-Ti. ihAlm

2,2000 N . Third Sunday after Pentecost- July

WIND Cobo OP

Highest tides of the year during next 2 days $2 |69 “Dog Days” begin; @at aphelion 7:00 p.m. Independence Day Regulus) cl. 9:55p.m.| §2 Arcturus sets 2:34 a.m. Tp Altair mer. 12:53-a.m. i Vega mer. 11:36 p.m. Delphinus mer. 1:32 a.m. “Teapot” mer. 11:53 p.m. Berenice’s Hair sets 1:00 a.m. Spica sets 11:29 p.m. Capricornus mer. 1:38 a.m Hercules Globular Cluster mer. 9:19 p.m. Betelgeuse ri. 4:01 a.m. St. Swithin’s Day; ) apo. 11:00 p.m. Total Lunar Eclipse 8:56 a.m. Denebola sets 10:59 p.m.

Altair mer. 12:04 a.m.; 2} ri. 1:08 a.m. Draco’s head mer. 10:00 p.m. Seven Sisters ri. 12:30 a.m. Dschubba sets 12:45 a.m. Rasalhague mer. 9:30 p.m.

Antares mer, 8:24 p.m. hri. 12:34 a.m.; Sabik sets 2:09 a.m. Shaula sets 12:48 a.m. Rigel ri. 3:30 a.m. Dhel. 6:01a.

Job’s Coffin mer. 12:17 am.; 9 gr. W. el; gf Cepheus mer. 12:56 a.m. Cassiopeia’s “M” mer. 4:13 a.m.

3L Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - July 30, 2000

AS

Partial Sun Eclipse 9:13 p.m. Eltanin mer. 9:17 p.m. Q) cl. 7:56 p.m.

Eee10hfim Twi2h OTm

ee

4:43 | 7:30 | 3:55 | 5:08 @:05 4:45 | 7:28 | 5:10] 5:09 | 7:

— 11:43 7:48 | 12:45p

BIRTHSTONE: Ruby, symbol of contentment FLOWER: Larkspur or Water Lily JULY BIRTHDATES

4- Calvin Coolidge 4 — Stephen Foster

|

11 -John Quincy Adams 15 — Rembrandt

4— George M. Cohan 5-P.T. Barnum

19 — Samuel Colt 21 — Ernest Hemingway

10 —John Calvin

30-— Henry Ford

8 — John D. Rockefeller

112

24 — Amelia Earhart

JULY EVENTS

1 — Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 2— President Garfield shot, 1881

16 — First Atomic Bomb exploded, 1945 17 - Florida ceded to U.S. by Spain, 1819

20 — First, Moon landing, 1969

23 — Salvation Army founded, 1865

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

JULY 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE 1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Pleasant weather. 4th-7th. Mother Nature’s fireworks for the Fourth: heavy thunderstorms, then a return to fair skies. 8th-1 1th. Windy, wet. 12th-15th. Fair, pleasant New England; drying out, turning progressively hotter for Mid-Atlantic States. 16th-19th. Thunderstorms. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair weather. 24th-27th. Scattered showers, then fair

skies. 28th-31st. Changeable skies: mixed sun, clouds with perhaps a passing shower.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST. Ist-3rd. Severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, tornadoes for Illinois; farther east, sunny to partly cloudy, dry. 4th-7th. Mother Nature’s pyrotechnics display for the Fourth: heavy thunderstorms, especially across Great Lakes, then a return to fair skies. Sth11th. Gusty winds, showers. 12th-15th. Turning mostly fair, hot. 16th-19th. Thunderstorms, especially Great Lakes. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair, very warm. 24th-27th. Scattered shower activity, then clearing skies. 28th-31st. Thunderstorms.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES

,

1st-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Heavy thunderstorms from Gulf Coast north, east to Carolinas. 8th-11th. Scattered showers, thunderstorms, which threaten the All-Star Game at Miami’s Pro Player Stadium. 12th-15th. Drying out, heating up. 16th-19th. Sultry conditions, then scattered thunderstorms. 20th-23rd. Mostly fair skies. 24th-27th. Scattered showers, then fair weather. 28th-31st. A hurricane threat along Gulf Coast.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES

ae

1st-3rd. Squally weather travels east out of Rockies; severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, tornadoes, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri. 4th-7th. Mostly fair Independence Day holiday. 8th-11th. Fair initially, then showers. 12th-15th. Fair, turning hot, then scattered thunderstorms developing across Rockies. 16th-19th. Thunderstorms move out of the Plains States, then fair skies. 20th-23rd. Fair, hot weather is replaced by unsettled conditions by the 23rd. 24th-27th. Scattered shower activity spreads rapidly east from Plains, then fair skies. 28th-31st. More scattered shower, thunderstorm activity.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Squally weather from Rockies; severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, tornadoes, especially Texas, Oklahoma area. 4th-7th. Mostly fair, dry for Independence Day holiday. 8th-11th. Fair initially, then showers, wind. 12th-15th. Fair, turning hot, then scattered thunderstorms developing from Rockies. 16th-19th. Squally Texas, Oklahoma. 20th-23rd. Fair, hot weather, then unsettled conditions by the 23rd. 24th-27th. Scattered shower activity spreads south, east to Texas, Louisiana coasts, then fair. 28th-31st. More scattered shower, thunderstorm activity; squally New Mexico, Texas.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Unsetiled, especially along the Washington, Oregon coast. 4th-7th. Mostly fair _ skies. 8th-11th. Fair initially, Washington, Oregon, points east, then showers. 12th-15th. Mostly fair, warm to hot, but then turning unsettled. 16th-19th. A few showers, then fair skies. 20th-23rd. Warm to hot temperatures; unsettled by the 23rd. 24th-27th. Clearing skies. 28th-31st. Gusty winds.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Unsettled, especially along California coast. 4th-7th. Mostly fair skies for the Fourth. 8th-11th. Fair initially, then widely scattered showers. 12th-15th. Mostly fair, hot, but then turning unsettled. 16th-19th. A few showers, then fair skies. 20th-23rd. Hot temperatures; unsettled by the 23rd. 24th-27th. Skies clear, hot, windy. 28th-31st. Gusty

winds; monsoonal squalls for Nevada, Utah, Arizona.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

113

8th Month

es 2000 ie

aes)

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eee

Se

D First Quarter 6th

8:01pm

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15th 22nd

|p

MS.

12; 12

06 16 05 33

@ NewMoon 29th 5:19am. | 15th 12 ‘ 22nd 12 Subtract h ) for other tim eee hieMST ShiorPST. | 29th 12

DAYS

AN

Ao

Mme a

Calendar for

Calendar for

rear

en

.

s

35°N. Lat.

45°N. Lat.

04 22 02 00 48

OR

MOON’S SOUTHING PASSAGE MERIDIA

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

Tu | Great Square mer. 3:29 a.m. We | Antares sets 12:12 a.m.

Diphda mer. 3:54 a.m. Fomalhaut mer. 2:03 a.m.

-Fighth Sunday after Pentecost-August6,2000

Slanwne

Day14h30m-Twi2hOm

jee eere:;Scombust | 9 Reguluscl.ev.|-2| apella ri. 10:00 p.m. Sirius ri. 4:38 a.m. CaoINSD Lyra mer. 9:23 p.m. Fast of Av; Milk Maid’s Dipper sets 2:06 a.m. “Dog Days” end; ) apo. 9: 00 Pm.; BPs

4:51 4:53 4:55 4:56

4:57

Caph mer. 2:43 a.m. VJ Day; Denebola sets 9:09 p.m. Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Shaula sets 11:19 p.m. Deneb mer. 10:56 p.m. Andromeda Galaxy

Corona Borealis sets 1:25 a.m Altair mer. 9:48 p.m.; Cassiopeia’s “M” mer. 2:39 a.m. Cepheus mer. 11:06 p.m.; h ri. 10:39 p.m. Perseus mer. 5:10 a.m. Cetus mer. 2:26 a.m. Pegasus mer. 1:47 a.m.; ) per.9;00 a.m. Summer Triangle mer. ‘9:04 p.m. )@ cl. 7:27 p.m.; 2}Aldebaran cl. 11:00 p.m. . 5:19 pees ri, 12:54 am. ;

BIRTHSTONE: Saline or Peridot, symbol of a AUGUST BIRTHDATES 110 — 15 — 15 — 18 — 19 —

114

Francis Scott Key Herbert Hoover Napoleon Sir Walter Scott Virginia Dare Orville Wright

21 23 25 27 29

— — — —

Princess Margaret Oliver Hazard Perry Leonard Bernstein Confucius ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

FLOWER: Poppy or Gladiolus AUGUST EVENTS

3 — Columbus started on first voyage, 1492 6— Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima, 1945 8 — Spanish Armada destroyed, 1588 14 — Social Security enacted, 1935 14 —- World War Il ended, 1945 26 — Women’s Suffrage, 1920

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

|

AUGUST 2000 WEATHER FORECAST ~ LONE 1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Thunderstorms, then fair weather. 4th-7th. Turning unsettled/wet throughout Mid-Atlantic, Northeast. 8th-11th. Becoming fair, windy. 12th-15th. Hit-and-miss locally strong thunderstorms. 16th-19th. A pleasant spell of weather. 20th-23rd. Wet, then fair skies return. 24th-27th. Fair skies, 28th-31st. Thunderstorms, some heavy, then fair weather.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST

:

1st-3rd. Thunderstorms, especially through Great Lakes area, then fair weather. Ath-7th.

Becoming showery for Great Lakes area through Ohio River Valley. 8th-11th. Clearing skies; gusty winds. 12th-15th. Widespread thunderstorm activity; some storms could be severe, accompanied by hail, high winds. 16th-19th. Mostly fair. 20th-23rd. Unsettled/wet, then clearing skies. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms: heavy to severe activity sweeps across Ohio River Valley from the South, West. 28th-31st. More heavy thunderstorm activity.

. LONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. A few widely scattered showers/thunderstorms. 4th-7th. Fair, then scattered thunderstorms across parts of the Southeast. 8th-11th. Turning fair, quite breezy. 12th-15th. Ongoing threat of thunderstorms; some possibly severe. 16th-19th. A hot spell of weather: temperatures well up into the 90s. 20th-23rd. Showery, then fair. 24th-27th. Fair skies. 28th-31st. Thunderstorms, some heavy, especially for Gulf Coast.

ZONE 4 ¢ NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Mostly fair, hot. 4th-7th. Showers, Rockies, across Plains States, then fair. 8th-

11th. Heat over Colorado is broken by squally weather. 12th-15th. Skies clear. 16th-1 9th. Mostly fair skies. Z20th-23rd. Unsettled/showery, then clearing skies. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms; heavy to severe activity for Missouri. 28th-31st. Mostly fair.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Mostly fair skies, hot, dry. 4th-7th. Showers, then fair. 8th-11th. Hot weather,

especially over Texas. 12th-15th. Generally fair skies. 16th-19th. Fair skies continue. 20th-23rd. Wet weather, then clearing conditions. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms; heavy to severe activity for New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas. 28th-31st. Mostly fair skies return.

ZONE 6 ¢ NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies; warm to hot. 4th-7th. Changeable skies; a few widely scattered showers. 8th-11th. A few showers; gusty winds. 12th-15th. Clearing skies. 16th-19th. Mostly fair skies, then turning wet. 20th-23rd. Showers, then clearing. 24th-27th. More scattered showers; possibly a thundershower. 28th-31st. Fair, tranquil.

ZONE7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies; hot. 4th-7th. Mixed clouds, sun; a few widely scattered showers. 8th-

11th. Heat over Utah is broken by squally weather; dust storms over the desert areas. 12th15th. Skies clear. 16th-19th. Showery California; hot Arizona. 20th-23rd. Any residual showers are clearing. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms; heavy to severe activity, Nevada. 28th31st. Fair, tranquil. :

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

115

SEPTEMBER 2000

9th Month

MOON’S PHASES

eee

11:27am.|

® First Quarter 5th

© FullMoon

Calendar for

S.

Eee

13th 2:36pm. | ist 8:28pm. | 8th

20th

@ Last Quarter

@ NewMoon Subtract h

SUN ON MERIDIAN

p

27th 2:53 p.m.

) for

other

Wom

11, 59 52% 11’

57 33

tim

11

50 12

Calendar for

35°N. Lat.

AS5°N. Lat.

75°W. Long.

os w

= 3

se

$s

ae . : = '

-thforCar 2h forMST. -ShforPST. | 29th DAYS

CIVIL TIME

328 aoe

75°W. Long. | 5 @ =

=

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

1 | Fr | Albireo mer. 8:45 p.m.

| 5:22 | 6:38 | 8:39]

2 | Sa | Messier 13 sets 2:31 a.m.

| 5:24 | 6:36 | 9:07]

36.Twelfth Sunday afterPentecost - September 3,2000

5:33 | 6:27

Pt 247

5:34 | 6:26 | 9:20]

.a 3:40

L/Day 13h09m-Twi.1h44m | L/Day 12hSim-Twi. 1h28m

Su | Scheat mer. 12:13 a.m.

TL) 5:25

sets 7:18 p.m.; Seven Sisters ri. 9:00 p.m. tair mer, 8:41 p.m. vy Menkar mer. 3:54 a.m.; )) apo. 8:00 a.m. 2§

Mirach mer. 1:58 a.m.

haa mer. 11:32 p.m. Altair sets 2:57 a.m.; CO’ ri. 3:45 a.m. Harvest Full Moon h sta. Holy Cross Day; Aldebaran ri. 10:07 p.m. Markab mer. 11:23 p.m. Caph mer. 12:27 a.m. © Regulus cl. a.m. Denebola ri. 5:09 a.m.; 2} ri. ie Enif mer. 9:51 p.m. h) cl. 9:01 p.m. Fomalhaut mer. 10:57 p.m. Q Spica cl. p.m. Ember Day; Pollux ri. 11:59 p.m. Alpheratz mer. 12:07 a.m. A Ember Day; Autumn Equinox 12:28 p.m. EST §2

Ember Day; hri. 8:41 p.m.

& Spica cl. p.m.| §2

Algol mer. 2:56 a.m.; ) per. 3:00 a.m. Sagitta sets 2:53 a.m. ) Regulus cl. 3:10 a.m. Schedar mer. 12:19 a.m. Lyra sets 3:00 a.m. Hydra’s Head ri. 1:52 a.m.

Sirius ri. 1:09 a.m. Y® cl. 6:53 a.m.|— Rosh Hashanah; & sets 6:29p.m. 2} sta.| M1,

;

BIRTHSTONE: Sapphire, symbol of wisdom FLOWER: Asie or Morning Glory SEPTEMBER BIRTHDATES

5 — Cardinal Richelieu

5 = Jesse James

19 — Charles Carroll

20 — Alexander the Great

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

1 — World War II began, 1939

2— Great Fire of London, 1666

8 — RobertA. Taft 11 -O. Henry 15 — William Howard Taft

23 — Euripides 23 — William McGuffey 23 — Caeser Augustus

2- US. Treasury organized, 1798 6 — President McKinley shot, 1901 10 — Sewing machine patented, 1846

18 - Ray Geiger, Philom.

24 — John Marshall

14 — Star Spangled Banner, 1814

116

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC -

SEPTEMBER

2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Wet weather, New England; farther south, scattered showers, some thunderstorms. Ath-7th. Fair, pleasant Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Thunderstorms sweep in from the West, then clearing. 12th-15th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Rain, then turning fair, cooler. 20th23rd. Fair skies persist. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms rumble rapidly across the region, then clearing, cooler. 28th-30th. Fair skies, then scattered rain showers.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST. 1st-3rd. Showers, then clearing skies. 4th-7th. Generally clear, pleasant for Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Thunderstorms, then improving. 12th-15th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Rain, especially Great Lakes, then clearing, cooler. 20th-23rd. Severe thunderstorms race rapidly toward the Great Lakes region. 24th-27th. Thunderstorms rumble rapidly through Ohio River Valley, points east, then clearing, colder conditions. 28th-30th. Squally weather moves in from the West.

ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Scattered showers, few thunderstorms. 4th-7th. Hot, oppressively humid for Labor Day holiday. 8th-11th. Heavy thunderstorms along Gulf Coast with a hurricane threat. ” 12th-15th. Fair skies prevail. 16th-19th. Showers, then clearing. 20th-23rd. A tropical disturbance brings windy/rainy conditions. 24th-27th. Squalls sweep across the region from west to east. 28th-30th. A spell of unsettled weather.

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Showers, then clearing skies. 4th-7th. Pleasant, Nebraska, Dakotas region, all points east; squalls over Rockies. 8th-11th. Thunderstorms across Plains States, then clearing. 12th-15th. Mostly fair, but turning unsettled over Colorado by the 15th. 16th-19th. Rain, Plains States, points east, then turning fair, cooler. 20th-23rd. Severe thunderstorms race rapidly east from Rocky Mountain States, across Plains; possible tornadic activity, Kansas. 24th-27th. Brisk winds, Plains States. 28th-30th. Unsettled with some wet snow possible over the highest elevations of Montana; squally weather elsewhere.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Scattered showers, especially Texas, then partial clearing. 4th-7th. Fair, much of Oklahoma, Texas, points east; squalls over northern New Mexico. 8th-11th. Heavy thunderstorms, Texas, along Gulf Coast, with a hurricane threat. Elsewhere, thunderstorms, then clearing. 12th-15th. Mostly fair skies, but turning unsettled over Utah by the 15th. 16th19th. Rain, then fair, cooler weather sets in. 20th-23rd. Dangerous thunderstorms race rapidly east; possible tornadic activity, Oklahoma. 24th-27th. Squalls, Texas, move east, then fair, chilly; brisk winds elsewhere. 28th-30th. Unsettled, especially Texas.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES

1st-3rd. Showers, then clearing. 4th-7th. Fair weather deteriorates to stormy conditions for Washington, Oregon; turning squally Idaho. 8th-11th. Fair skies. 12th-15th. Mostly fair initially, then turning unsettled. 16th-19th. Pleasant, tranquil weather. 20th-23rd. Unsettled. 24th-27th. Gusty winds. 28th-30th. A return to unsettled weather.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES

1st-3rd. Showers, then improving weather. 4th-7th. Fair weather deteriorates to unsettled conditions. 8th-11th. Tranquil weather. 12th-15th. Mostly fair initially, then unsettled weather spreads east from California coast. 16th-19th. Pleasant weather. 20th-23rd. Unsettled again for California coast. 24th-27th. Quite breezy. 28th-30th. Unsettled weather returns.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

117

ea

OCTOBER 2000 t= =

1 ey,

i tea — aii—= Sa

fa) EL

nt

apo. 2:00 a.m. 8gr. E.el.; 23 Capella mer. 4:13 a.m.; .sets 6:47 p.m. Fomalhaut mer, 9:51 p.m. Columbus Day; Yom Kippur

Alnilam ri. 10:17 p.m. Procyon ri. 12:00 a.m./11:56 p.m. Aquarius mer. 8:57 p.m.; CO" ri. 3:22 a.m. Hunter’s Moon; Pisces mer. 11:15 p.m. Succot; Seven Sisters mer. 2:17 a.m.

Aquila sets 12:49 a.m.

Us

Dhel. 1:57 a.m.; 2} Aldebaran cl.8:00 p.m. Algol mer. 1:26 p .m. Andromeda mer.P1120 p.m.; 2} ri. 7:31 p.m.

Orion’s Belt mer. 3:45 am; ) per. 5:00pm. AS Capella mer. 3:20 a.m.

Aries mer. 12:09 a.m.; =combust

Simchat Torah; Diphda mer. 10:38 p.m. Altair sets 12:14 a.m. Lyra sets 1:22 a.m. YC cl. 3:13 a.m. Albireo sets 1:06 a.m.; h ri. 6:31 p.m. Scheat mer. 8:43 p.m. Sirius rises 11:13pm. 6 sta; 9Antares cl. p.m. |TIL, | Alphard mer.1:28am;SLi SpotTTL

bay ih SeTh 2m

BIRTHSTONE:

6:35 | 6:19 | 5:09 | 7:00] 7:13 | 6:20 | 5:08 | 7:41] 7:56 | 6:20 | 5:07 | 8:27] Opal or Tourmaline, symbol :oe FLOWER: Calendula or Cosmos

OCTOBER BIRTHDATES 5— Chester A. Arthur

22 — Sarah Bernhardt

1:44 2:33 3:23

. OCTOBER EVENTS 1 —- First “Model T” Ford built, 1908

6 — George Westinghouse

25-Admiral Richard E.Byrd

4-— Russia launched first satellite, 1957 .

11 — Eleanor Roosevelt 14 — William Penn

27 — Theodore Roosevelt 28 — Jonas Salk

8 — Great Chicago fire, 1871 10 - U.S. Naval Academy established, 1845

16 — Noah Webster

30 —John Adams

24 — United Nations established, 1945

118

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

|

OCTOBER 2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 © NORTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Mostly fair. 4th-7th. Dry, windy weather. 8th-11th. Strong disturbance sweeps east off the Atlantic Coast: heavy rain Mid-Atlantic States; stormy with gale-force winds (39+ m.p.h.) along New England Coast. Clearing by the 11th. 12th-15th. Showers reach New York, Pennsylvania, through the rest of the Northeast by the 15th, accompanied by milder air. 16th-19th. Dry, milder, especially New England. 20th-23rd. Severe thunderstorms move in from the West, then clearing, unseasonably cold conditions with a widespread frost. 24th-27th. Fair at first, then turning unsettled by the 27th. 28th-31st. Trick-or-treaters will enjoy mostly fair weather.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST 1st-3rd. A spell of fine, dry weather. 4th-7th. Very unsettled/wet conditions developing. 8th-11th. Squally Ohio, Indiana, clearing all points east. 12th-15th. Unsettled again, especially Ohio, Kentucky, then clearing. 16th-19th. Squalls Great Lakes. 20th-23rd. Severe thunderstorms roll through Ohio, Indiana, then clearing, unseasonably cold with widespread se 24th-27th. Fair initially, then turning unsettled by the 27th. 28th-31st. Fair skies for Halloween.

- ZONE 3 © SOUTHEASTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Dry, tranquil conditions. 4th-7th. Gusty winds, mainly fair. 8th-11th. Heavy rain, thanks to a strong disturbance moving off the Atlantic Coast. 12th-15th. Chilly rains from Gulf Coast north to the Carolinas. 16th-19th. Drying out after a week of dull, damp weather. 20th-23rd. Scattered showers, then clearing, unseasonably cold with an early frost for some localities. 24th-27th. Light rain. 28th-31st. Fair skies.

ZONE 4 ¢ NORTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Stormy: some wet snow Rockies, flurries Plains. 8th-11th. Fair, cold. 12th-15th. Turning unsettled, then clearing. 16th-19th. Stormy weather spreads first into Colorado, then heavy rain spreads into Central States. 20th-23rd. Clearing

skies, colder. 24th-27th. Fair skies rapidly change to unsettled conditions. 28th-31st. Tranquil, at first, then turning stormy over Rockies; increasing cloudiness elsewhere.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Fair weather. 4th-7th. Stormy with some wet snow, flurries over higher terrain areas. 8th-11th. Mostly fair, cold. 12th-15th. Turning unsettled, then clearing. 16th-19th. Heavy rains spread into the region. 20th-23rd. Rain, thunderstorms, Texas, points east, then clearing skies, colder weather. 24th-27th. Fair skies rapidly change to unsettled conditions; light rain, Texas, points east. 28th-31st. Tranquil, then increasing cloudiness with very unsettled conditions spreading in from New Mexico.

ZONE 6-¢ NORTHWESTERN STATES |

1st-3rd. Fair, dry. 4th-7th. Very unsettled weather. 8th-11th. Fair, chilly. 12th-15th. Showery. 16th-19th. Stormy weather sweeps east from Pacific Coast. 20th-23rd. Clearing skies, turning colder. 24th-27th. Fair initially, then turning unsettled again. 28th-31st. Starting off pleasant, then turning stormy, colder for Washington, Oregon, points east.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Fair skies, tranquil. 4th-7th. Windy with a few scattered showers, especially California. 8th-11th. Turning fair, rather cold. 12th-15th. Scattered shower activity. 16th19th. Windy, rainy; stormy Utah. 20th-23rd. Clearing skies, colder. 24th-27th. Fair initially, then turning unsettled again. 28th-31st. Starting off pleasant, then turning stormy, colder for California, points east.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

119)

11th Month

ae 2000

MOON’S PHASES

SUN ON MERIDIAN

‘Eastern Time

CIVIL TIME

11

43 36°

Calendar for NORTHERN STATES

11 11

43 47 44 39.

45°N. Lat. 75°W. Long.

22nd

11

46

13

th for C.S.T. -2hforM.S.T. -3hforP.S.T. | 29th

11

48

26

® First Quarter 4th

© FullMoon

2:26am

11th 4:14pm. | ist

@ Last Quarter @ NewMoon

18th 25th

10:25am.|] 8th 6:llpm. | 15th

Subtract hour(s) for other time zones

DAYS

|p

HM

S.

Calendar for SOUTHERN STATES 35°N. Lat.

PLACE .MOON’S

ASTRONOMY, CHURCH DAYS, ETC.

All Saints’ Day; Pleiades mer. 1:06am. All Soul’s Day; }) apo. 11:00 p.m.

UY |6

Vega sets 12:39 a.m. ee mer. 6:21 p.m.

ees (The Wing) mer. 9:14 p.m. Hamal mer. 11:00 p.m.;9 sets 6:48 p.m. Election Day; Mirfak mer. 12:17 a.m. Diphda mer. 9:29 p.m. Alpheratz mer. 8:50 p.m. Arcturus ri. 3:47 a.m.

O' ri. 2:55a.m.; }) Aldebaran cl. 1:34 a.m. Spica ri. 4:25 a.m.; )) per. 6:00 p.m.

Bellatrix mer. 1:48a.m.

& gr.ow. el5A82

Markab mer. 7:19 p.m. Leonid Meteors 1:00 to 6:00 a.m. Elnath mer. 1:36 a.m.; 2} ri. 5:17 a.m.

Caph mer. 8:12 p.m. Almach mer. 10:02 p.m. Scheat sets 2:53 a.m. We | Algol mer. 10:58 p.m.; 9 ri. 5:26 a.m. Th | Thanksgiving Day; Fo aut sets 10:55 p.m. Capella mer. 1:05 a.m.; h sets 6:26 a.m. Castor ri. 7:03 p.m.

26 Su | Aldebaran mer 12:16 a.m.; 9 aee 27 Mo| Pollux mer. 3:21 a.m.

ple

We| Diphda sets 1:11 a.m. 23 | Betelgeuse mer. 1:19 a.m.; ) apo. 7:00 p.m. |

sets | 6:45 | 4:50 f i : : 8:23 | 6:49

4:49

BIRTHSTONE: Topaz, symbol offidelity |FLOWER: Chrysanthemum NOVEMBER BIRTHDATES Be 2 = ie 4— 6hee

120

Daniel Boone Marie Antoinette Warren G. Harding Will Rogers John Philip Sousa Madame Curie

i

10— Martin Luther 13—Robert Louis Stevenson 14— Robert Fulton 19—James A. Garfield 25 — Andrew Carnegie 30 — Mark Twain

NOVEMBER EVENTS 2 - First radio station, 1920 11- Armistice signed, 1918 16 - U.S. recognized Soviet Russia, 1933 17— Suez Canal opened, 1869 19— Lincoln delivered Gettysburg Address, 1863 22— Kennedy assassinated, 1963

2000

FARMERS’ ALMANAC

NOVEMBER }

2000 WEATHER

FORECAST

ZONE1 ¢ NORTHEASTERN STATES . Ast-3rd. Fair skies. 4th-7th. Stormy weather Mid-Atlantic States, with an early-season snowfall possible, then clearing, cold. 8th-11th. Light snow rapidly sweeps into New England from the west, then fair. 12th-15th. Fair skies persist. 16th-19th. Squally conditions into Mid-Atlantic States; stormy New England, then clearing, much colder. 20th-23rd. Fair, then turning wet with rain/wet snow hilly terrain of New England; a cold rain Virginia, Maryland area. 24th-27th. Mostly fair, cold. 28th-30th. Generally fair.

ZONE 2 © GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST

:

Ist-3rd. Sunny to partly cloudy. 4th-7th. Stormy, espécially Ohio River Valley where accumulating snow is possible, then clearing, colder. 8th-11th. Light snow, Michigan, Ohio, then fair. 12th-15th. Continued generally fair. 16th-19th. Squally Kentucky; stormy Great Lakes area, then clearing, much colder. 20th-23rd. Fair, then turning wet. 24th-27th. Mostly fair, cold. 28th-30th. Very unsettled with snow, especially Great Lakes area.

ZONE 3 ¢ SOUTHEASTERN STATES ist-3rd. Fair weather. 4th-7th. Stormy, especially Gulf Coast, then clearing, cold. 8th11th. Fair skies give way to rain, then clearing. 12th-15th. Fair skies. 16th-19th. Windy, _-rainy, squally Tennessee, then clearing, much colder; frost reaches down to Gulf Coast. 20th-23rd. A cold rain for the Gulf Coast, spreading across rest of the Southeast. 24th27th. Mostly fair, cold. 28th-30th. Generally fair skies. :

ZONE 4 © NORTH CENTRAL STATES ~ 1st-3rd. Stormy weather initially over Colorado, spreads north, east; squalls, Missouri. 4th7th. Fair, cold. 8th-11th. Light snow, Rocky Mountain States, points east. 12th-15th. Fair,

then turning stormy, including the Plains. 16th-19th. Storms clear Dakotas, Nebraska, all points west; turning colder. 20th-23rd. Light snow, Rockies, across Plains, then clearing. 24th-27th. Mostly fair, then a heavy snowfall for Rockies. 28th-30th. Very unsettled, Dakotas, Nebraska, with significant snow; Southwest storms dump additional snow as far east as Missouri.

ZONE 5 © SOUTH CENTRAL STATES 1st-3rd. Widespread stormy/squally weather. 4th-7th. Fair, cold weather. 8th-11th. Light snow, New Mexico, points east, then clearing. 12th-15th. Fair, then stormy; squally New Mexico, Texas. 16th-19th. Storms clear east; turning colder. 20th-23rd. Some snow, parts of New Mexico, west Texas, then fair; cold rain, Texas, Louisiana coasts. 24th-27th. Mostly fair, then a significant snowfall for much of New Mexico, northern Texas, Oklahoma. 28th30th. Storms out of the Southwest dump additional snow as far east as Arkansas.

ZONE 6 © NORTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Very unsettled conditions. 4th-7th. Fair, quite chilly. 8th-11th. Showers,

Washington, Oregon. 12th-15th. Fair, then turning stormy. 16th-19th. Stormy weather moves on to the east, then a trend toward drier, colder weather. 20th-23rd. Some scattered

“showers of rain or (higher elevations) snow. 24th-27th. Fair at first, then becoming stormy with gales (39+ m.p.h.); heavy snow over the mountains. 28th-30th. Generally fair weather.

ZONE 7 © SOUTHWESTERN STATES 1st-3rd. Stormy Utah; squalls elsewhere. 4th-7th. Fair, cold. 8th-11th. Light snow, Nevada, Utah, much of northern Arizona. 12th-15th. Fair, then stormy. 16th-19th. Stormy weather moves east, then drier, colder. 20th-23rd. Unsettled; some snow again for Nevada,

Utah, northern Arizona. 24th-27th. Fair, then becoming stormy with gales (39+ m.p.h.) along California coast, heavy snow (6' to 12") over the mountains. 28th-30th. Storms sweep out of the Southwest States, replaced by clearing skies.

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC -

s

121

12th Month

DECEMBER 2000

ae

semen er

Sagittarius

10:555pm.|

p

AWM

11

S.

Calendar for

SOUTHERN

49 10 hye

STATES

03

45°N. Lat.

© FullMoon

ith

4:02am. | ist

@ Last Quarter

17th

7:41.p.m.

8th

11 rn52

@® NewMoon

25th

12:21pm.|

ith

11

55 18

22nd

11

58

Subtract hour(s) for othertimezones

-th for C.S.T. -2hforM.ST. -3hforP.ST. | 29th DAYS

Calendar for

NORTHERN

gece he ae _.

eee

® First Quarter 3rd

Capricorn

Ee

per. 5:00 p.m. Geminid Meteors. C'Spica cl. 2:34 a.m.; A 82 Canis Major mer. 1:28 a.m. Saiph mer. 12:14 a.m.; ) Regulus cl. 9:48 p.m. Castor mer. 1:55 a.m,

Capella mer. 11:30 p.m. Orion’s Belt mer. 11:46 p.m.; 2) sets 5:27 a.m. Wa 734 Vega sets 9:36 p.m. Ember Day Winter Solstice 8:38 a.m. EST Ember Day; Chanukah; Dubhe mer. 5:00 a.m. Ember Day; Menkalinan mer. 11:49 p.m. Rigel mer. 10:59 p.m.; h sets 4:17 a.m. Christmas Day © sup. Crux mer. 6:07 a.m. 23 Sirius mer. 12:23 a.m. Regulus mer. 3:42 a.m.; ) apo. 10:00 a.m. 6

Arcturus ri. 12:34am.

)9Qcl. 8:25p.m. jax ae

Spica ri. 1:26 a.m.

53. First Sunday = ——

December 31, 2000

aa8h 50m -Ww th46m Ua_ 50m - Wi th30m

31[Su_[New Year'sEve;Tefaldayofthe0thcentuy.[

ae you Ser

ia

courage students to send in class entries. Each entry

must include: author’s name,

Can’

Trenton, New Jersey

;

Ny A Detective

entries become the property

of Almanac Publishing IfIcould be anything in the world, I would be a Company, and will not be re- | detective, because I could help people and stop tumed. Winning entries will be published in the 2001.

edition of the Farmers’ Almanac, and winning authors will each receive an advance copy of the 2001 Aimanac as well as a per-

sonalized writing journal.

crimes. I would work in a large police department in New York. I will carry a gun in a shoulder har-

ness and have a badge on the side of my belt. I will drive in my unmarked Chevy Camaro car. And I will have a desk to work at. Grade 1.

ee

BRANDON CLEMENTS Age 7.W :

ee

ah

ee

Only winners will be notified. 126

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

99 IfI could be anything,

€&

I would be... a cloud. Clouds are so wonderful. They are up in | the sky, very high, and are blown across the whole world. A cloud has a chance to see everywhere in the world, and that has been my dream all my life—to.see the world and its features. IfI was a cloud, I would be very important. I would be needed. It is nice to be _| needed. I would be the most important ’ | part of the water cycle, and without me, | the whole world could not survive. Some people don’t like clouds because ~ they block the beautiful sun. The sun and I would be dear friends. I would make fluffy cloud formations and make people love to look into the sky and just | look at me. - When the stars were out, I would make the Northern Lights by spreading myself into a beautiful shape and color. I would always be a blue cloud, none of that ugly gray stuff. Maybe I would make someone fall in love. So in the end, if I could be anything in the world, I would bea pretty, misty, blue cloud. NICOLE PALEY Grade 6, Age 11, Harry Balfour School, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada gp pullin 0

y

ULI aT

|

To be an eagle

If I could be anything in the world, I | would be an eagle. I could soar through the sky and then I would dive down to the lake and get fish. I could see things | that are very far away, and I could see through water to get fish. I would be a very big bird. I would only fly at daytime and sleep during the night. I would be | the biggest eagle in the world. I would | be bigger than any bird there ever was. I would be so big I could wrap my wings around a redwood tree in California 200 times. STEVEN BARNES Grade 3, Age 8, Petersham Center School, — Petersham, Massachusetts

If could be anything in the world, I would bea cat rajah—yes, that would be me! I would soar on a dragon to far away lands, and visit the natives of the Kalahari sands. If could be anything in the world, I would be a tiger in India—that would be me! I'd roam the jungle far and wide, and soon have a cub by my side. I would eat anything that stood in my way, then I'd lay down and rest for the day. If could be anything in the world, I would be an Indian—yes, that would be me! I'd run through the forest on silent feet, each day braid my hair nice and neat, then ['d go hunting for bear. I would be sure to share. I would get a cat and a nest, then I would rest. IfIcould be anything in the world I could be, I think I'd just be the best me I could be! EMILY BARBER Grade 4, Age 9, Spanish Peaks Academy, Walsenburg, Colorado

tia If could be anything

BY in theworld...

I would bea free agent in MLB, tons of contracts coming at me. Lots of persuasions coming from the Mets, but I’m still having sonie regrets. Maybe the Orioles, they’re on their way up, forget the Pirates they ought to give up! Possibly the Giants, they showalot of variety, nah, probably the Yanks—that’s a team that is mighty! All the fans will be looking at me, and the kids will shout, “Daddy, Daddy, is that he?” : As the fans yell and cheer me on, I hit a ‘homer and it’s going ... going ... gone! So, as you can see, my lifelong dream, is to play Major League Baseball ... on any team! NICHOLAS CARLOUGH Grade 5, Age 11, University Heights School,

More on page 128

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Trenton, New Jersey

127;

(ua

iy) My future...

Me ) aT

the universe

A piece ofpaper

,

If could be anything in the world I would be a piece of paper. I could see IfIcould be anything in the world I the world, when people mail me. would be an astronomer. I want to exScientists would write important facts on plore answers to the most fascinating me. I also would be in school listening to questions that have been pondered over since the beginning of time. Maybe Tl. my teacher. I could go to college for free. My biggest fear would be the scisanswer a controversial question like: sors. I would love a kindergartner to “Are we alone in the universe, or are there other lifeforms out there?” That is x scribble on me. I don’t really mean to give people paper cuts. If I would be rea question thatI have been longing to cycled, I would be put with another answer for a long time. The universe is piece of paper. My mother would be the just waiting to be investigated and extrée. But I’m really happy being just plored, and I want to be the one to unplain old me! cover its secrets. J. SIMON GARCIA Grade 8, Age 14, William Adams Junior High School, Alice, Texas

A rainbow-colored

|

SANDRA PAUPEROWICZ Grade 5, Age 11, University Heights a Trenton, New Jersey

i A football

Unicorn IfI could be anything in the world, I would be a female unicorn because I would help the unicorn race. My name would be Rainbow. I could live forever if I wanted to. I would be pure white with a rainbow mane and tail. ButI could change color. I would be a pretty Arabian unicorn with my children clustered around me. I would gallop over and across fields and valleys with my mane and tail flowing out behind me. I would be beautiful. So beautiful, no mortal eyes could behold me. I would love everyone and everything.

IfI could be anything in the world, I. would bea football. I would be there for many historic moments, including the Super Bowl. I would be able to fly, and running backs would take good care of me. I would have the best seat in the house for Hail Mary passes, and for the greatest runs. I would be able to say I was on the field for all of the greatest milestones and the breaking of records. Although it wouldn’t be fun to be punt=| ed, kicked, or at the bottom of the piles, I would get to see the best plays and the best players. When I grow old and retire, I will get to live with a football player who gets the game ball, and that ball would be me.

NIKI CLARK Grade 3, Age 8, Petersham Center School,

DAVID BRUHN Grade 5, Age 11, University Heights School,

Petersham, Massachusetts

Trenton, New Jersey

ee i) A High School Teacher If could be anything in the world, I would be a high school teacher. COREY MAZZONI Grade 1, Age 7, West Washington Elementary School, Campbellsburg, Indiana

128

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC “=

From the FARMERS’ ALMANAC

© Appetizers © Soups © Main Dishes e Side Dishes »~ © Desserts

e

Hot Clam Puff 3/4 cup butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 cans (8 oz.) minced clams, drained 1 can (8 oz.) white clam sauce 1 1/2 stacks butter-style crackers

2 eggs 3 tbsp. honey 3 tbsp. vinegar 8 oz. cream cheese ty 1/2 red pepper, chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped Beat the eggs and add honey and vinegar. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. While hot, add cream cheese and peppers. Beat until creamy. Cool. Serve with cut-up vegetables or crackers.

Melt butter in skillet, add onion and sauté until tender. Add minced clams. Stir in sauce and remove from heat. Crumble crackers and stir into clam mixture until blended. Pour mixture into a mediumsized, oven-proof dish. Cover and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake 45 minutes longer. Serve hot with fancy crackers.

Winnie Dalgewicz

Carla Jenkins

Stockton, New Jersey

MORE ON PAGE 130

Ames, Iowa

a FAs 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Oven Fish Chowder

Fresh Pea Soup 3 cups shelled peas or two 10-ounce packages frozen peas 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 tsp. onion salt Pepper to taste Drop the fresh peas in boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove and cool with cold water. If using frozen peas, defrost slightly. Place the peas in a blender or processor and blend until slightly liquid, leaving some of the peas still whole. Pour in a pot with the rest of the ingredients and heat until very hot, but do not

boil. Serve hot.

-

Combine all ingredients, except fish, cream, and parsley,in a 3-quart casserole dish. Lay pieces of fish on top. Cover and bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Heat cream to scalding. Add to chowder. Serve gar-

nished with parsley.

Margaret Weisbein

Patricia Johnston

Topsham, Maine

Lamberiville, New Jersey

Main Dishes Barbecued Chicken cae 3 Ibs. chicken legs Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 cup catsup 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. hickory-smoked salt 1 tbsp. minced onions Sprinkle chicken legs with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot. Combine molasses, vinegar, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, hickory-smoked salt and minced onion. Pour over chicken legs. Cover and cook on low 5 to 7 hours.

130

4 potatoes, sliced Celery leaves, chopped 1 bay leaf 21/2 tsp. salt 4 whole cloves 1 clove garlic, minced 3 onions, sliced or chopped 1/2 cup butter 1/4 tsp. dill seed 1/4 tsp. ground pepper ~ 1/2 cup white wine 2 cups boiling water 2 Ibs. cod or haddock fillets 2 cups light cream 1/2 tsp. parsley, chopped

“Some Different” Pork 4 pork chops 1tbsp. olive, or vegetable oil, or cooking spray 2/3 cup long grain rice 4 tbsp. onion, chopped 2 cups water 2 tsp. chicken bouillon grains Cinnamon and sugar Trim fat from pork chops. Slowly cook pork chops in frying pan with oil or lowfat cooking spray, until brown. Remove pork chops and in same skillet sauté rice and onion until rice is golden, stirring constantly. Stir in water and bouillon. Bring to boil. Turn mixture into square baking pan. Arrange pork chops on top. Bake covered in 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake uncovered another 20 minutes, or until pork is tender.

Kathy Pittenger

Janet Oesterling

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Howard, Pennsylvania

2000

FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Corn Casserole 1 box cornbread mix (small) * 1 can (10 oz.) cream corn 5 1 can (10 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained 1 stick butter 1 cup sour cream (can use lowfat) 8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated Mix all ingredients together except 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Pour into a 9"'x 13" pan or baking dish, sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the corn mixture. Bake at 400° F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until center is set.

&

Pastry for 8-inch pie 2 tbsp. flour 8 or 9 large onions, sliced 2 thsp. butter 1 tsp. salt Dash of ground pepper T cup cream Line pie plate with pastry and sprinkle

with flour. Fill with sliced onions. Dot with butter, salt and pepper. Pour cream over onions. Top with pastry. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F.

Bake for 30 minutes more.

Mike Lurie Cody, Wyoming *

Kurt Lakin Chattanooga, Tennessee

Desserts Chocolate Pecan Bars 11/2 cups self-rising flour 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 tsp. self-rising flour 1/2 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs On low speed, in a large bowl, beat together 11/2 cups flour, powdered sugar, oil and butter until dough begins to form (4 to 6 minutes). Press into an ungreased 9" x 13" pan. Bake until light brown 13 to16 minutes at 350°F. Mix brown sugar,

pecans, chocolate chips, 2 teaspoons selfrising flour, vanilla and eggs. Spread over baked layer. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Bars 4 eggs, beaten 1 2/3 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin Mix together eggs, sugar and oil. Add dry ingredients, then pumpkin. Pour into cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) and bake at 250°F for approximately 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Frosting

3 0z. cream cheese 1 stick butter 11/4 tsp. vanilla 1 cup powdered sugar Beat together and spread on cooled bars. Cut.

Jane Walton

Marge Connor

Newark, Delaware

Savannah, Georgia

_ 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

131

Keep your garden growing!

SPRING GARDENING

€ {

Questions a Answers

Spring is the time of year when gardeners dream about the new and beautiful gardens they will be planting. They quickly forget all the problems they had last year. Well, before those problems start creeping up on you again, here are some common gardening questions and answers from the Question and Answer Internet Service section of the National Gardening Association’s Web site (www.garden.org). Part of the services provided by the National Gardening Association is access to regional gardening experts from around the country. These experts answer gardening questions within 48 hours of receiving them. Their Web site also has a library of more than 17,000 questions and answers that you can search through and review. If you have a question, they have an answer. Here are some common spring gardening problems that have been posed by people from around the country, and answers by Charlie Nardozzi, the Senior Horticulturist at National Gardening Association.

ByCharlie Nardozzi 132

2000

FARMERS’ ALMANAC

i

i

| started some lavender seeds indoors and the few that have sprouted got 2 inches tall and then fell over and died. They were under a fluorescent light for about 7 hours each day and

entering the stem. Provide good air circulation (a fan blowing gently in the room— but not directly on plants), and be sure not to overwater. Hold off fertilizing the seedlings until their second set of

the soil was kept

leaves appear. If you

moist. What did | do wrong?

- Portland, ME It sounds as [i though your seedlings are “damping off.” This is a fungus that attacks young seedlings, causing them to wilt and die, literally overnight. Here are a few methods you can use to stop this fungus, although it won’t help with the ones already “gone.” Since the fungus enters the plant at the soil line, you can try to make an inhospitable environment for it.

When the seeds are planted, but before they germinate, cover the soil with a fine layer of “play” sand (this is sand that has been sterilized; you should be able to find it at a hardware store or lumberyard). This provides a sterile, dry, and unfavorable (to the fungus) surface that will help keep the fungus from

_

2000

FARMERS’ ALMANAC

use a sterile potting soil - (and it’s a good idea to

do so), sterilize your pots before planting, with a 10-percent bleach solution. If you follow the above steps, you shouldn’t need to apply a fungicide. Also, once the plants have germinated, it’s best to keep them under the lights for about 16 hours per day. Keep the lights close to the tops of the seedlings, about an inch or two above the tips. I live in Texas and my house faces north. My flower bed goes around a fairly large porch. About half of that area gets some morning sun, the rest gets a lot of afternoon sun (very hot in summer). What yellow or orange flowering perennials could | plant that will stay short (less than 18" tall), and grow in part or full sun and heat. = Ft. Worth, TX

All perennials need some pampering to get start-

ed, but with little care after that, the following hardy plants will thrive under your conditions: Sunray and Moonbeam coreopsis, Basket of Gold alyssum, Shasta daisies, gaillardia, Stella de Oro daylily, and Achillea (yarrow). All of these perennials have flowers in the yellow/orange range. Some annuals, such as portulaca, pentas, marigolds, and zinnias, are good to plant to fill in the spaces

between perennials until they get established. It’s always a good idea to improve your soil before planting. Mix in compost, aged manure, or other organic matter, keep the bed mulched with straw, leaves or grass clippings, and well watered, especially during hot spells. My family is moving to an apartment with a balcony. | would like to grow a few vegetables outside, if possible. Do

you have any recommendations for good container veggies and tips on successfully growing them? = San Jose, CA

133

spraynaturally drips The first order of water daily in hot weathoff the branches. er, less if the weather is [i business for any cool. Use a diluted liquid vegetable gar| have mossy fertilizer about every den is to pick the locapatches in my third time you water, to tion. Ifyour balcony gets lawn. I’ve removed provide a constant sup6 hours of direct sunthe trees shading ply of nutrients to the shine a day, you'll have a those areas, but what roots of your plants. It’s successful crop of vegetables. However, even 4 wise to flush the salts out should I do to get grass to grow? of the containérs every hours of sun a day will - Allentown, PA month or so, to prevent a allow you to grow leafy Moss grows on buildup and subsequent greens and root crops [Kllawns because of too burning of roots and successfully. When garmuch shade(less leaves. dening in containers, than 3 hours of direct make sure you have l live 50 miles sun per day), high soil good drainage and soil in north of Indianaacidity, (it should be bethe pots. Use a commerpolis. I’ve heard tween the optimum 6.0 cial potting soil, rather spraying dormant oil is to 7.0), or poor soil fertilithan regular garden soil, good for fruit trees. Is ty. Asoil test can deterto fill your containers. mine both the pH of the Use pots large enough this true? - Kokomo, IN soil and the nutrient conto accommodate the root tent. If the soil test says Yes, dormant oil mass of the plants you innutrients are needed, [| sprays help control tend to grow (large top-dress the area with aphids, mites, and wooden, plastic or clay scale (and other insects), compost so the soil base pots will do). To keep by suffocating their eggs. is at least 4 inches deep, mature plants from topand add enough lime to And spring is the time to pling over, a pot should be about 1/3 as deep asa apply this oil. In the past, adjust the pH. Once the soil nutrients and pH are dormant oil was a fairly plant is high. Any variety corrected, follow these heavy, petroleum-based of lettuce, bean, pepper, procedures: in the spinach or broccoli will . spray that could be used only when trees were spring, rake the mossy be fine, but for larger fully dormant—if area with an iron rake to crops choose varieties sprayed once the trees bred for small spaces. pull out as much of the had broken dormancy, Salad Bush cucumber, moss as possible, and to the oil could damage Pixie II tomato and even loosen the soil. Ifthe new growth. However, bush winter squash, area gets full sun, rethere are lots of new, such as Butterbush butseed with a mix of ternut squash, will grow lightweight horticultural Kentucky bluegrass; for fine in containers. oils available, and they’re partial shade, seed with safe to spray even after Your containerized a mix of fine fescue. garden will rely upon bud break. Spray your Lightly rake the area, fruit trees on a warm you to provide adequate covering the seed with moisture and nutrition all (40°F), calm day, cover1/4 inch of soil, then summer long. Plan to ing the tree until the keep the area moist.

134

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

i

§

STUDENTS

SHARE

THEIR

PREDICTIONS

Seeceseeeeeceesseceeeesceeeneeeeeeass

Last year we invited readers to send in

“%, Natalie Cummins’ 5th

What’sin e.

their predictions for

/

the year 2000 and the 21st century. While we received some well-thought out predictions, we

|;

», Grade Class at Unionville Elementary

4

School, in'North

"J Carolina, were the ,. Know safe routes

> Store drinking water,

from home, work, and

first-aid kit, canned/no-

school to high ground. > Know how to contact other household members through a com-

cook food, nonelectric can opener, radio, flashlight and extra batteries where you can get them easily, even the dark.

mon, out-of-state con-

tact in the event you have to evacuate and become separated. > Know how to turn off gas, electric power, and water before evacuating. > Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors, or employees. > Keep plywood, plastic sheeting, lumber, sandbags, ‘and hand tools on hand and accessible. > Winterize your house, barn, shed, or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock, or equipment. Install storm shutters, doors, and windows; clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks; and check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow—or water, if drains on flat roofs do not work. > Get a NOAA weather radio to monitor severe weather.

150

WINTER PREPAREDNESS SAFETY

WINTER STORM WATCH Be alert, a storm is likely. WINTER STORM WARNING Take action, the storm is in or entering the area. BLIZZARD WARNING Snow and strong winds combined will produce blinding snow, nearzero visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chili—seek refuge immediately. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY Winter weath- | er conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous, especially to motorists. FROST/FREEZE WARNING Below freezing temperatures are expected and may cause damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees. FLASH FLOOD OR FLOOD WATCH Be alert to signs of flash flooding and be ready to evacuate ona moment's notice.

FLASH FLOOD WARNING > Keep cars and other vehicles fueled and in good repair, with a winter emergency kit in each. ~ Know how the public is warned (siren, radio, TV, etc.) and the warn-

ing terms for each kind of disaster in your community; for example:

A flash flood is imminent. Act quickly to save yourself because you may have only seconds. FLOOD WARNING Flooding has been reported or is imminent take necessary precautions at once. Reprinted with permission from FEMA Federal Emergency Management Association.

2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAG

ALMANAC

CLASSIFIEDS

To find out more information about placing a classified ad in the Farmers’ Almanac, contact Dawn Bergeron at 1-8 00-925-0171 Ext 2368° Fax 207-755-2782 E-mail: [email protected]

ee a

BUILD SUN, WIND, WATER | POWERED APPLIANCES.

WANT GREATEST CASH CROP WORKING FOR YOU? Send $1.00 to: Ginseng FA, Flag Pond,

30 plans. Details $3.00. MCOAG, 3203 Borders, 1000 Oaks, CA 91362

Ble ayy OZARK ACREAGE $50$500 MONTHLY. NO DOWN PAYMENT. Wooded, j secluded. Free catalog. Woods & Waters Inc. P.O. _ | Box 1-FA, Willow Springs,

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RISC

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$400 WEEKLY ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS FROM HOME For free information send SASE: Home Assembly-FR,

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GOURDS. MORE THAN 15 DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES! The Gourd Garden and Curiosity Shop, 4808 East C-30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

32459. 850-231-2007

RECORD VIDEOTAPES AT HOME! EASY $1,800.00 _ WEEKLY INCOME!

Free startup information kit! (205)-663-9888. CMSVIDEO,. Dept. 180, 210 Loma Square, Birmingham, AL 35216-5439 | $300/DAY! MAILING OUR CIRCULARS! BEGIN NOW! Free packet! SASE: DJD Marketing, Box 030119, Dept. F,-Staten Island, NY

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Catalogs —

FREE CATALOG, TOP QUALITY VEGETABLE, FLOWER & | HERB SEEDSINCE 1900. poneoA as gags i Ce : 2000

FARMERS’

ALMANAC

Champion’s RX-Herb Store, 2369 Elvis Presley, Memphis TN 38106

MOTHER DOROTHY KOMBACHA HERB Tea known for its soothing, healing effects on nerve pain,

START THE MILLENNIUM RIGHT: NUTRITIOUS VEGETABLES, POTENT HERBS, FRAGRANT FLOWERS. Catalog of heirloom seeds $1.00. Grandma’s Garden, 4N381-FA Maple Ave, Bensenville, IL 60106

grandmasgarden.com

Box 216, New Britain, CT

06050-0216

FREE GRANDMA’S HOMEREMEDIES BOOKLET. Collection of recipes, herbs, and folklore. Send long stamped envelope.

POOR HEALTH/FATIGUE? Me too! | have found a product that has changed my health and wealth. FOR INFORMATION CALL 1-800-825-1218

Help Wanted GET PAID TO SHOP! $1820 HR PT/FT. Evaluate local stores for national firms. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 24 HRS! 1-307-473-2623 Ext. 297 $800 WEEKLY POTENTIAL PROCESSING GOVERNMENT REFUNDS AT HOME! No experience necessary. 1-800-696-4779 Ext. 2310

insomnia, body aches and many other health conditions. Also available are oils, prayer cloths and beads. CALL 843-873-7725 Summerville, SC.

ISA ET IIS SPIRITUAL AFFIRMATIONS FOR USE WITH TRADITIONAL ROSARY BEADS. Send $1 and SASE to:

Rosary, P.O. Box 903, Brewton, AL 36427 a

HTS GRANDMA’S OLD RECIPES. Send SASE and $2.00 to Grandma’s Recipes, P.O. Box 275, Mechanic Falls,

ME 04256-

Reserve your advertising space NOW in the next edition of the Farmers’ Almanac!

Contact Dawn Bergeron 1-800-925-0171 Ext 2368 Fax 207-755-2782 E-mail: [email protected]

151

WOMEN

OFTHE 4 CENTURY { he twentieth century has brought change to our society at such a rapid pace that it’s often hard to comprehend. For example, in 1901 automobiles were a seldom-seen curiosity, but just sixty-eight years later, we put a man on the moon. While change is apparent in almost every aspect of our lives, it’s even more

visible in the lives of women. At the tun of the century, women couldn’t vote, let alone serve in office. Most didn’t work outside their home. If they did, it;wasn’t as the head of a corporation. The freedoms we take for granted today were unheard of in 1901. Yet strong, determined women with dreams have always made a difference. The women remembered here are representative of so many more. They simply had dreams, and each of them worked hard to make them come true. * ARCHITECTURE: In 1901, there were less than 11,000 registered architects in the entire United States. Few were women. Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter paved the way for the thousands of women who have followed. Her work is still well known and loved on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. In a time when most architecture still sported elaborate Victorian gingerbread, Colter’s buildings were spare and elegant, often using native stone and wood. The South Rim is home to more of her remaining buildings than any other area. Standing watch over the magnificent vistas are: Hermit’s Rest, the Watchtower, the Hopi House, Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Lodge, Colter Hall, and Lookout Studio, all designed by Colter between 1905 and 1937. Born in Pittsburgh in 1869, Colter studied at the California School of Design. In 1887, she apprenticed with an architect; the lone woman in a male-dominated field. Since so few jobs existed for females in architecture, Colter began her career teaching art. She taught for nearly fifteen years before she got the chance to do what she longed to—design and decorate her own buildings. Traveling west for a job offered by the Fred Harvey Company, she worked the remaining years of her life designing and decorating gift shops, train stations, and hotels.

BY SHERRIL

STEELE-CARLIN

A freelance author located in Reno, Nevada.

152

_ 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAG

_ Colter died in 1958 at the age of eighty-eight. Using regional stones and gnarled wooden beams in straight-line designs influenced by nature and the Native Americans of northern Arizona, Colter’s legacy lives on in her beautiful buildings. She was a woman with a dream, who fought the odds and won. * AVIATION: Mention women aviators, and most people think of Amelia Earhart or Beryl Markham. What about Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to get a pilot’s license and become a stunt pilot? As a manicurist in Chicago, Coleman yearned to fly. She tried to take flying lessons in the U.S., but was turned down because she was a black woman. No black flight instructors existed at the time, and no white man would instruct her. Coleman heard things were different in France. She saved every penny, and spent months learning how to read and speak French. She then traveled to Europe to take flying lessons in France and Germany. In 1921, she earned her international pilot’s license. Coleman returned to the U.S., and in 1922 started flying in air shows. Performing | daring acrobatic maneuvers, she thrilled the crowds. Her real goal was to opena flight school for blacks. She felt “the air is the only place free from prejudice.” Unfortunately, Coleman’s dream would not be realized. On April 30, 1926, “Queen Bess” and her mechanic died in Jacksonville, Florida, while preparing for an air show. During her funeral in Chicago, ten thousand people filed past her casket. Today women are influencing aviation in all arenas. Lieutenant Colonel Eileen Collins has become the first woman to pilot the space shuttle and also the first to command it. She said of her accomplishments, “It’s my hope that all children, boys and girls, have seen this mission and will be inspired to reach for their dreams, too,

because dreams do come true.” * JOURNALISM: At the turn of the century, journalists were usually men. Women, even with an education, were employed as typists, if they could get a job at all. One such woman was Elizabeth Banks, who worked for several large newspapers from 1894 until 1902. Banks determined early that she wanted to getan education and write for newspapers. Her family didn’t make it easy for her. When she graduated from the female seminary of Milwaukee-Downer, they constantly reminded her of the high cost of her graduation gown —“ten pounds of butter and eight dozen eggs.” Her education, at first, qualified her only for work as a “Type-Writer Girl,” but she soon moved into journalistic jobs. In 1898, she reported on the origins of the new inflammatory “Yellow Journalism” in an article for Nineteenth Century, a British magazine. She also wrote for papers in New York City that practiced yellow journalism. While in New York, an editor once asked her to walk the streets for a story on “ladies of the night.” Banks refused, and became known around the office as “The Great Objector.” She wrote, “The part which women play in the yellow journalism of America is a very important one. There are almost as many women as men employed on the various staffs, and those who work on the ‘space system’ earn sometimes even more money than do the men— indeed, one of the good points of the yellow journalism is its tendency to recognize the equality of the sexes so far as the matter of pay is concerned.” By 1902, Banks had left journalism to write novels. She wrote ten fiction and nonfiction books during her lifetime, two of them autobiographical discussions of her life as a “newspaper girl.” She died in 1938, at the age of sixty-eight, another woman

whose dreams filled her life with meaning and purpose. 2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

Poainded on page 154 153

«WAR WRITING: When we think of war, and the effect it can have on those

who fight, we think mostly of men. However, Lynda Van Devanter is living proof that war has a powerful effect on women too. Now a writer, Van Devanter had to fight the disapproval of her friends and family when she began a career as a nurse. During her last year of nursing school, she realized she wanted to go to Vietnam and help those “brave boys fighting and dying for democracy.” Her friends and family told her she was “crazy.” One friend said, “Find a decent job, get married, and have a house full of kids. Leave the wars to the men.” Ignoring the advice, she signed up with an Army recruiter saying simply, “I want to go to Vietnam.” From 1969 to 1970, Van Devanter got hér wish and served as a nurse in Vietnam. The war was not what Van Devanter expected. Hellish nightmares kept her from sleeping. She spoke about them to a friend. “Of course you'll have nightmares,” he said. “Everybody in this hole does. It’s part ofthe price we pay.” When she returned home, it took quite a while for the terrible effects of the war to wear off. Finally, to help ease the pain, she started writing about her experiences. She wrote a book called Home Before Morning, which became the motivation for the television show China Beach. Her memories of returning home to Washington, D.C. are poignant. “I couldn’t run fast enough. In a moment I was in his [her father’s] arms, laughing and crying as I hugged and kissed my father and mother. I felt the strength from those protective arms and Iwanted to melt into them. I wanted somebody to pick me up and hold me like a baby. I didn’t ever want to be strong again.” Van Devanter fought her problems, and is strong again. She became the National Women’s Director of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Today, she still writes and speaks about the Vietnam war, and its effect on our society. « SCIENCE: The name of Madame Curie is famous in the world of science. However, many other women have also made their mark, without much fame or

fanfare. Dr. Barbara McClintock was 81 in 1983 when, after more than fifty _ years of research into genetic transpositions, the Nobel committee recognized her work and awarded her the Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine. Born in 1902, Dr. McClintock earned her doctorate from Cornell University in 1927. She immediately began studying genetics and chromosomes. Despite many obstacles, she continued this research throughout her life. In 1936, an engagement announcement about a young woman with the same name appeared in the local newspaper. The chair of her department informed her that they would fire her if © she married. At that time, she was Vice President of the Genetics Society of America. Many scientists disagreed with her work, and found it difficult to understand. Dr. McClintock moved from university to university when backing for her work failed. She finally settled at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Cold Springs Harbor, New York, and there spent the bulk of her career, from 1942 to 1967. Dr. McClintock’s work on chromosomes changed the way we look at genetics and DNA. She died in 1992, leaving behind a legacy of discovery and perseverance. As we face the coming of a new millennium, it’s common to look forward, backward, and inward. Thousands of great women have made inspirational, drastic dif. ferences in our lives and world. Some of them are remembered, while some just quietly make a difference around them. May they inspire the dreams in all of us, for the next century and beyond...

154

2000 FARMERS’ ALMANAC

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