Weather rambling — February 1879

All was well in February when the “beautiful snow” was in ample supply.

“The sleighing is excellent. … Wood piles increasing in size. The lumbermen are unusually busy. Another installment of the beautiful snow,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Feb. 7, 1879.

“The sleighing in this section has averaged excellent during the entire winter, though Old Sol, of late, has been appropriating a part of the superficial snow,” the Crown Point correspondent reported.

“A severe rainstorm on Tuesday. Our February thaw has gone into winter quarters,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Feb. 14.

“The late thaw has put a damper on ice harvesting,” the Mineville correspondent reported.

“The sleighing is excellent. Another snowstorm on Tuesday,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Feb. 21, 1879.

“Our Methodist friends were not very fortunate in their selection of time for the donation. The day proved to be a stormy one, and a cold, blustery storm is apt to keep people indoors. … Those who stayed at home missed a fine supper and a very pleasant entertainment.”

The temperature dropped.

“Last Saturday morning was the coldest of the season,” with temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees below zero, the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Feb. 28.

“The sleighing is excellent, and the cold wave continues. Lumbermen are happy.”

It was a good year for sleighing

“Today makes 63 days of sleighing we have had this winter, more than has been in the town in ten years,” the Jay correspondent reported in the Ticonderoga Sentinel on Feb. 28.

In other 19th century February weather news collected from historic newspapers of the region:

1880

The temperature ranged from 15 to 22 below zero as the winter weather finally lived up to expectations.

“February comes in badly and promptly to the rescue of the winter’s damaged reputation. … The lake froze out of Westport Sunday night,” the Elizabethtown Post & Gazette reported on Feb. 5, 1880.

“Another cold wave struck us Sunday night and continued striking through Tuesday morning, at which time the mercury thawed out. At daylight Tuesday morning the thermometers in our village ranged from 18 to 20 below zero,” the Post & Gazette reported on Feb. 12.

A poetic editor mourned an early thaw.

“Slush, slush, nothing but slush. Sleighing gone, it went with a rush. Ice-house empty, wood pile low. Thus worries the editor, O,” the Post & Gazette mused on Feb. 19.

A week made a difference in the weather.

“The ice is in good condition now for crossing from Essex to Charlotte. Ice cutting commenced today with ice eight inches thick and good quality,” the Essex correspondent reported on Feb. 26.

1891

“The sleighing in this section is about up, and wagons are now brought into requisition,” the Shushan correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on Feb. 6.

The changeover may have been premature.

“The old bear (a forerunner to the ground hog) came out and saw his shadow,” the Fort Ann correspondent reported.

The old bear forecast correctly.

“A heavy fall of snow came Saturday night into Sunday morning, to the teamsters’ relief, making nice sleighing again,” the Harford correspondent reported on Feb. 13.

1881

“For fear our readers may not be aware of the fact, we will inform them, for the 99th time, that it is cold weather. In fact, it is very cold weather. This does not express it as emphatically as we hear it remarked many times every day, but we leave the adjectives for our readers to infer,” the Elizabethtown Post & Gazette reported on Feb. 3, 1881. “Yesterday morning the mercury was 10 degrees below zero, and, with a heavy wind from the west, many were of the opinion it must have been 100 degrees below.”

The ice on Lake Champlain was frozen solid.

“The crossing of the ice between here and Charlotte is very good. Ice cut for ice houses is reported ten inches thick,” the Essex correspondent reported.

“Something new — a thaw,” the Post & Gazette reported on Feb. 10.

“Fishing through the ice is inaugurated,” the Schroon Lake Correspondent reported.

1853

“The ice is strong and safe between Cumberland Hotel and the Islands, and loaded teams are passing. The regular stage line between this place (Plattsburgh) and Burlington, via Grand Isle, will commence running on Monday next,” The Elizabethtown Post reported on Feb. 4.

“The storm of Wednesday was the most severe of the season. Nearly 18 inches of snow fell at this place,” The Elizabethtown Post reported on Feb. 25. “The telegraph wires are broken in several places between here and Warrensburgh.”

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