Abstract of the Meteorological Journal kept on Cape Diamond, Quebec, 1835-1836

By William Kelly

[Originally published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in Transactions, Original Series, Volume 3 (1837)]

Mr. Watt has lately published a mean of all his observations at Cape Diamond, from 1829 to 1836. The observations were made six times a day, at 6 and 9, a. m., noon, 3, 6, and 9, p. m. The annual mean temperature derived from all these observa­tions (on correcting a clerical error which had some effect on the published results) is 37°½ This is somewhat higher than the mean at 9, a. m. of the same years, which is 36° 51. But the annual temperature obtained by Mr. Watt in this way, does not exceed that contained in those tables, more than might be expected, if it was ascertained that 9, a. m., represented the mean of the day correctly. Since observations at midnight, and 3, a. m., which are wanting for the completion of the daily mean, would tend to lower the result of the whole in some degree.

The mean annual temperature hitherto assigned to Quebec (41° or 42°) is probably too high by four or five degrees. It seems to have been obtained from observations made in the town, where a situation, free from a variety of disturbing influences, would be difficult to find. A review of the annual means published in this volume, would appear to shew a gradual increase of tem­perature from 1825 to 1829; a very slight fluctuation bet­ween this and 1831; and then a gradual diminution for the last five years.

W. Kelly.

Quebec, November, 1837.