The Unkind Spring of 1892

The weekly crop bulletin issued by Director H. F. Alciatore of the State Weather Service for the week ending May 14 reports that Western Washington has suffered through another week of cool, cloudy weather. While there was a bit more sunshine than last week, the cold winds counteracted the beneficial effects of the sun's heat. Temperatures ranged between 46 and 60 degrees, with several severe frosts on the 8th, 9th, and 10th in some counties. Considerable injury resulted from 'Jack Frost's' visits, especially in portions of Lewis and Clark counties, where early fruit such as plums, prunes, and cherries were injured to a considerable extent. In some places, more exposed than others, the gardens were frozen down almost completely. In Eastern Washington, the weather has been dry but altogether too cold, with temperatures dipping as low as 32 degrees. Our Kiona correspondent writes that in that portion of Yakima County, potatoes, tomatoes, and corn were cut down entirely by the heavy frosts. In some portions of Spokane County, the ground is said to be so cold that seed is very slow in starting.