Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-02-20

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Written for the BEyHID.l ,
OUR MILD WINTER.
d" ny II. A. CUTTING.
My record of the weather, showing
in reality its history since, commenced
january 1st, 1913. From that date to
the present we have had no Ntuterlike
this. Running buck rs best we can
down toward 1900, We find il has no
parallel. We have, however, during
this period had Decembers without
snow, and sometimes quite pleasant.
We have had January without much
frost, and some farmers in Vermont,
have improved it by ploying their
fields, but sooner or later every year
We have had our winter hence as this
year gives us both December and Jan
uary mild and pleasant we may not so
we'll enjoX March and April. This
year our temperature for November
was up to what October has sometimes
been, and December ranged degrees
higher temperature than December
1872, which was considered at the time
q very pleasant December, and the
average temperature has been nearly
three times the average temperature of
December, 1877. J&npary is even more
marked, as it has an average tempera-
ture of about % degrees, Against an
average Of about degrees in 1915. The
depth of snow to Feb. LIST, measured as
it fell is but IS inches, which is less
than one third the usual amount, and
less than it has been any year since
| 1913, before that | cannot positively
know, but have reason to believe from
all the records can gather that it is
! less than ever before in New England,
Yet we have had an usual amount Of
storm. For the same time we have
had Z IA inches of rain, which ifit had
been snow would shave measured SO
inches, making the snow fall 1913 inches
which is more than the average.
From this you can see that the
temperature alone has made our win
ter mild and pleasant. Many winters
the range of temperature is 100 degrees
while this winter the greatest cold has
been % degrees below zero, and the
warmest SO degrees above, or range
of onlyj74 degrees. From this cause
our sleighing has been continuous,
though the depth of snow is as before
stated very slight,
But February comes in with a gale
of IS miles per hour. We have had
only one as strong for 81 years and
that was upon Oct. 18th, 1870. Both
gales did considerable damage. The
last QccasiOned the loss of some lives in
New England, as it was in the midst
of a rapid fall of snow, and persons
out lost their way, and the penetrating
steady gale, with 4 temperature
slightly above zero, made it dangerous.
What will the remainder of orr winter
be: is the question frequently asked
but which cannot be certainly an
swered,
1907 was reasonably mild without
great depth of snow until March, but
the last day of March the snow is said
to have been seven feet deep upon
level, with immense drifts everywhere,
and it is recorded that May LIST of thai
year the snow would average 4 1-2 feet
deep,
1915, March, April and May were
snowy months-8 inches falling May
%, while the early part of the winter
was mild.
1916, snow fell s inches ON the 9Th o.
June.
1S40. March rs and 2G, there came O.
inches of snow, and snow was very
deep through April, yet the snow fall
was but 81 inches for the year. There
was no sleighing until Jan. 9Th.
1860, on the first of April, snow would
: average four feet deep, though we haG
but 90 inches as it fell, but it largely
came the last Of the winter.
1862 was similar March 10, com
! mtnced q fearful storm which brough,
: 25 inches of snow. April 1st the snow
: would average feet deep, yet we had
an early spring.
= 1868 we had 80 10 inches of snow Sal
1 in March, and 10 days with thermome
a ter below zero.
1869 the snow would average fee
deep April LIST ; and, it fell mostly the
/ last of the winter.
i 1870 it was the same.
t Now comes the query as to the pres
Y ent spring. Shall we have great snow
s fall? There are several reasons VIII!
/ we think not, among them is the fac
), that for ten months we have had ;
Y great rainfall. Though we have, sine
e winter commenced, had little snow, w
n have. hadmuch rain cold rain to b.
e sure, yet it was more than a usua
V amount of storm. AS we seldom hav
n wet long continued in excess, or as tn
:, saying is, cone extreme follows an
1t ther," we may not have unusua
= storms. All the winters mentionet
II were preceded by light storms in fal
], and early winter, while this fall an,
n winter our storms have been heavy
6, yet without much snow.
,s AS an open winter is injurious &
10 81,