Weather rambling — January 1880

There was a good packing of snow when the New Year opened in 1880.

“Sleighing was never better than now,” the Elizabethtown Post & Gazette reported on Jan. 1, 1880. “The severest storm of the season is now raging.”

Some portions of the county experienced a January thaw.

“The recent thaw has used up the sleighing here, so we take back our invitation to our friends to come over and take a sleigh ride,” the Post & Gazette reported on Jan. 15. “If this continues a few more days longer, look out for “Odes to Spring.”

Six inches of snow fell in one day, the Schroon Lake correspondent reported on Jan. 15.

“Indications for more tomorrow, much to the satisfaction of lumbermen in this vicinity.”

In Elizabethtown, 16 inches of snow fell on Jan. 20.

“There is great rejoicing among lumbermen, mill men, forge men, wood drawers, wood buyers, farmers, merchants, and landlords, blacksmiths, small boys and girls, large boys and girls.”

The thaw continued.

”Beautiful snow all day falling so-so,” the Crown Point Centre correspondent to the Post & Gazette wrote on Jan. 20.

“The little snow we have is fast disappearing,” the Fort Ann correspondent reported.

“It rained nearly all day Tuesday. Wednesday was warm and spring-like. Result — sleighing about used up,” the Elizabethtown Post & Gazette reported on Jan. 29.

“No signs as yet that the lake will freeze over, and several ice boats are waiting for the event. The ferry boats still continue their trips daily,” the Essex correspondent reported in the Post & Gazette on July 29.

“Spring weather. … Several courses of sore throat in turn,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Jan. 30, 1880.

“The little snow that fell a few days ago is fast disappearing,” the Jay correspondent reported.

The weather was more seasonable elsewhere in the region.

“About one foot of snow fell last Thursday, and teamsters and teams are lively now,” the Moriah correspondent reported.

“We have got about eighteen inches of snow in the woods. The lumbermen are busy drawing logs, but have not teams enough,” the North Hudson correspondent reported.

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

1861

“The slight falls of snow recently have improved the sleighing. There has already been good sleighing for eight weeks,” The Fort Edward Ledger reported on Jan. 11.

1881

“The third cold wave of the season has subsided,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Jan. 14.

1882

“The thermometer at Crandell’s greenhouse Wednesday morning marked twenty-four degrees below zero and the ice men were happy. Yesterday it was thirty-five degrees warmer,” The Glen’s Falls Messenger reported on Jan. 20.

1887

“’We’ve had about seven feet of snow this winter,’ remarked an old citizen to a Star reporter yesterday, as he looked out through his office window upon the huge banks of the ‘beautiful,’” The Morning Star reported on Jan. 18. “The scribe lapsed into a period of mental calculation and finally concluded to seek out some satisfaction with a view to testing the correctness of the old gentleman’s statement.”

It was enough snow to delay the train.

Passengers on the “sleeper” had longer than expected to sleep.

“The south-bound sleeper, due at Fort Edward at 12:15 this morning, became stalled in the snow six miles south of Whitehall,” The Morning Star reported on Jan. 21. “Several engines were attached to the train, and a large force of men was set to work shoveling the snow from the track. At last report, it was expected that the train would not reach Fort Edward before six o’clock this morning.”

1891

There was a run of cold nights and warm days.

“The thaw has started the ice in the river beside making the sidewalks very treacherous walking,” the North Granville correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on Jan 16.

“The heaviest snowstorm since the memorable blizzard of ’88 prevailed here Saturday night and Sunday. About 15 inches fell. The wind blew a gale and the snow drifted badly,” the Comstock correspondent reported on Jan 23.

“Although the ice has gone out of the river, some are filling their icehouse from the seminary pond,” the North Granville correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel.

“Thursday night the ice at the mill pond went out, soon followed by that of the Indian River.” The Fort Ann correspondent reported.

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