Carpathian Meteorological Chronicle: Gothic Mountain Stillness

The mercury in my barometer has begun its slow descent—29.81 inches and falling—as if the very atmosphere exhales a weary sigh. At this hour past ten, the sky wears a veil of 51 per cent cloud, a patchwork of sunlight and shadow that plays upon the distant crags like the fitful moods of a melancholic. A light mountain mist coils through the valleys, not dense enough to obscure the path, yet sufficient to lend a phantom softness to the pines and to chill the bones of any who linger overlong in its embrace. The thermometer stands at 47 degrees Fahrenheit, the dew point but six degrees lower, so that the air feels clammy as a grave-cloth, and the southwest wind—scarce two knots—scarcely stirs the withered leaves that cling to the eaves.

Meteorological Readings & Barometric Log:
• Atmosphere: Gothic Mountain Stillness
• Temperature: 47°F / 8°C / 6.8°R Mountain Chill
• Barometer: 29.81 inHg - Falling Slowly
• Wind & Squalls: Southwest 2 kts Calm Air
• Station: Scarlet Ridge Observatory, Transylvania
• Observer: Alistair Sterling, Atmospheric & Barometric Scholar