7 pre:«exti:i) in [Reprinted from the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. civ, No. 12, pp. 307-309, Sept. 20, 1906.] THE WINTER CLIMATE OF TUCSON, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA. BY ISAAC W. BREWER, M.D., FORT HUACHUCA, ARIZ. The town of Tucson is situated in the midst of an extensive mesa that is bounded on the north by the Santa CataUna and TortoUta mountains, on the east by the Santa Catahna and Rincon ranges, on the south by the Santa Rita mountains and on the west by the Tucson range. The Santa Cruz River runs through the town and furnishes water for drinking and irrigation. The surrounding mountains are clad in hve oaks and pines and the Santa Rita and Santa CataUna ranges have been made forest reserves. The elevation of Tucson is 2,368 feet above sea level, while the highest peak in the vicinity, Mount Lemmon, has an altitude of 10,110 feet. The name Tucson is said to come from the Indian word " Chookson " meaning black water. The Spaniards established a presidio at Tucson to protect the mission of San Xavier del Bac during the latter part of the seventeenth century. It became a portion of the United States in 1853 with the rest of the Gadsden purchase. Although retaining many quaint old buildings, remnants of the Spanish era, it is a modern town with water and sewer systems and electric lights, and an electric street railroad. In the Mexican quarter the streets are narrow, but in the newer portions of the town the streets are wide and well kept. Ample sidewalks are provided for most of the streets and during the past three ^l years the sanitary condition of the town has improved very much. The majority of the people Hve in cottages of six or more rooms with broad verandas and grounds. The more pretentious houses are built on the mission plan and are very picturesque. Adobe (sun dried) bricks are the most popular building material. Houses built of it are cool in summer and warm in winter. Tucson has a population of about 14,000 and is the distributing point for a large area and has a number of excellent stores. The markets are supplied with the best fruits and vegetables that Southern California affords. Prices are high but not in excess of what is charged in other places in Arizona. Servants are hard to get and wages are high. Small cottages rent for from $35 up. There are twelve hotels in the town, the best and most modern is the Santa Rita, a large four-story mission building. The school facilities are good. The University of Arizona which is located in the town, while not as well equipped as many of the older univer- sities, offers a number of very good courses, especially in mining, engineering and assaying. Most of the religious denominations are repre- sented by churches. There is a well-stocked library in the town. During the past year many of the saloons and all of the gambling places have been closed up. In the immediate vicinity of the town there is much of interest. Those who love flowers will enjoy watching the experiments that are being carried on at the Desert Botanical Labora- tory, just outside of the town. The old Mission of San Xavier del Bac with its Indian colony is well worth a visit. The mission was established by Father Kino about 2 tJift Author (Person ) the middle of the seventeenth century. It was from this base that he made those remarkable missionary journeys through the arid plains of Southern Arizona. During the latter part of the eighteenth century Father Garces, the greatest of Arizona's explorers, made his head- quarters at San Xavier. For many years the mission was deserted and neglected, but it has been restored and reoccu- pied. The roads leading from the town are fairly good and the mines in the surrounding mountains are very interesting. There is a limited amount of game in the vicinity and the climate is such that camping is enjoyable at all seasons. Climatically the Arizona stations may be divided into winter stations of which phoe- nix is the best known, all-the-year-round sta- tions of which ^rescott is the best known and summer stations of w^hich Flagstaff is the most important. Tucson is distinctly a w^inter station. In the summer the weather is very hot and but few invalids are able to remain after the first part of April. In the following tables are presented The available meteorological data for the six months from October to March, inclusive. The temperature is expressed in degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity in percentage of saturation, pre- cipitation in inches and tenths and the wind velocity in miles per hour. The records are for jlifferent periods but are the best that can be had. Y if Number of days during the five years from 1901 / ^u-^iJ^^^-'to 1905 the maximum and minimum temperatures were above and below certain critical points. From a study of the accompanying tables it will be seen that Tucson is a station of mod- cC(MO;l>OiO ^'COOSOiO 1>T— iCO pntAia3BJ8AV ^^"^^^^ -g co ^ ^ O^ ^ uot^oaaiQ 3uriiBAaj(j ^ ^pnoQ ApjB J lo'^oS ^ ^ t- QO X Oi •s^^a -i^^D JO -ON ^ ^ ^ 2S 2 ^ •sABQ ^UtBy^ JO OJ^ Csl ,-1 CO Tf rt- to Xli-H 05 »-i O tXN (M a> c^ ,-1 TjH CO CO •uoijB^Tdioajj CO t^ CO i> GC O aS'BaaAY o O O O O O •%\i&^ J9J A^ipimnH -^ X ic aAT^B|9Jj UB8J\; ^ ^ '^ ^ C^ '* ;C t^ X O CO Xi-H 1 T-H CO CO lOCO ^ P •uinuiiuiH XIB8H S ^ W M ^ rl^ ^ J ^ J ^OfNCOO 1-IIOC5 •mnraiuTH ^ ^ ^ ^ ^3 C^ ^O Oi --H O tH (N TtH ■uintutx'BW XOOOfM^O >■ XCO 05»0 •uB9K^saAvoT Jg^^-Ji^- "S(N I> I>0 i-H Tft O •nB9K ^saqSiH ^ggSS^ ^""^ 12 UBaw gg^Si^g ■S?i§2| O O a> 2 oj "5 o Q (N cctS*^ Above 4 32-39, Below 3 T^ X t^ O iHl •uinmixBj\[ •ranuiniij^ erate elevation, with a warm winter climate and clear, dry atmosphere. During October the maximum reaches 90° or above on an average of ten days a year. Dur- ing the other months the highest temperature occasionallv reaches 90° but is between 40° and 70° 50% of the time. The nights are often cold, but the minimum is above 40° more than half of the time. The lowest temperature recorded was 10° in December, a minimum of 11° having been observed in February. The mean minimum temperature, which may be considered as the temperature shortly before sunrise, for the winter months is 38°. A study of Table II will give a fair idea of the temperature conditions that may be expected to obtain. The relative humidity averages about 46% and varies but little from month to month. During the six months under consideration 66% of the days are liable to be clear and but 6% cloudy. Rain falls on an average of nineteen days. The prevailing direction of the wind is from the south and the velocity averages between five and six miles per hour. There are occa- sional dust storms that blow^ with considerable force but they are infrequent during the winter and fall. In winter Tucson has a higher temperature and lower humidity than many of the noted resorts in this country and abroad. It is a little cooler and dryer than Cairo, Egypt, although "the rainfall is greater. Tucson is a desirable winter resort for persons in the early stages of tuberculosis, but not for advanced cases. Unfortunately, many delay coming to the southwest until the disease is well developed, and although some of them do well the greater majority do not improve. Such persons do better at lower stations or at home. Tucson is a growing town in a growing country, and many persons who are not very sick have found employment in the mines in the neighbor- ing mountains or in the business houses of the town. For persons with visible symptoms the outlook is not so good as there is a disinclination on the part of the business men of this region to employ those who may be a menace to their other employees. It is not advisable for those in moderate circumstances to come to the South- west trusting to obtain work. LIBRPRY OF CONGRESS