Excerpt from Report of Silas Reed, Surveyor General of Wyoming Territory, for the Year 1871

Annual mean temperature at Cheyenne - This is generally considered to be about Last year I took the annual mean from an observation taken at 3 o'clock p. M. Each day, which gave But this year I have condensed the meteorological tables politely furnished me by Mr. Asa C. Dobbins, observer, who has charge at this place of the War Department telegrams and reports relating to meteorology, and for the benefit of commerce.

The following tables exhibit a careful analysis and summary of all meterological data for the last eleven months. They are compiled from three daily observations, taken at 6 a. M., 2 p. M., and 9 p. M., respectively, Cheyenne time. The mean temper ature of these three daily observations, (the 6 a. 111. One being taken earlier in the morning than heretofore in this region of the mountains) is shown to have been for the eleven months. The yearly mean at Fort Laramie, I understand, has been 50° heretofore. This fort is ninety miles north of Cheyenne, but is to feet lower in altitude, and in the valley of the North Platte.

Cheyenne is a higher and more exposed point than any other along the eastern base of the mountains, at the same distance from them.

The course of the winds is shown in the tables, and also their velocity and frequency. It appears that out of the observations taken during eleven months, 276 showed the wind from the west, 176 from the south, 117 north, 48 east, 136 northwest, 86 south west, 48 southeast, and 23 northeast. Eighty-one of the observations showed calm weather, free from storms or wind 68 showed stormy weather.

The rain-fall of the year shows only inches. This seems to be below the gen eral yearly average. Last year my report showed inches for twelve months pre ceding. Dr. Latham says, the Black Hills and Laramie Plains are in the belt where 20 inches of rain falls annually, - but this certainly cannot have been the case for many years past. The past season has been a very dry, one all through this region, and the creeks and rivers were never known so low. The chief reason of this can be seen in the small snow-fall here from November to April, inclusive. During these six months only inches of rain and melted snow fell. Our snows are so light and dry that 12 inches of snow make only an inch of water, and none of the snow-storms of this period were over 3 inches deep here at a time, one generally melting, or being blown away, before another came. There were, also, only 15 storms for the four months from November to February, inclusive.

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