Weather rambling — Not so ‘Fair’ weather in September 1888

It was fair season, but the weather left much to be desired in early September 1888.

“Shivering mortals sigh for overcoats and flannels. Ugh!” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on Sept. 7.

There had been a heavy frost at Kingsbury on Sept.5.

The first frost at Queensbury was on Sept. 7, the third earliest in 15 years.

A Queensbury farmer said the frost killed several acres of buckwheat crop.

“Buckwheat cakes will be a high-priced luxury in this section,” the farmer said.

At Whitehall, a severe frost damaged most of the corn and buckwheat crops in the vicinity of Whitehall, The Granville Sentinel reported on Sept 7.

At Comstock, “Oats are all harvested and many of them thrashed. They will be a little short of half a crop. Potatoes are light and corn almost a failure. There will be only a few apples, but plenty of grapes.”

The frost was accompanied by heavy rains, which bode well for saw mills.

“The heavy rain which prevailed throughout the section Friday night and nearly all day Saturday has caused the mill hands to rejoice,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 10. “The water in the river is rising, and today the mills will resume work in full time.”

There was favorable weather on opening day of the annual Warren County Fair at Glens Falls.

“The managers of the Warren County Agricultural Society could not have been better pleased with the weather yesterday if they had ordered it from ‘Old Prob.,’” The Morning Star reported on Sept.12. “It was an ideal September day, and the fair opened auspiciously in every respect.”

Temperatures continued to fluctuate.

“The chilly atmosphere last night suggested coal stoves,” The Morning Star reported on Sept.14, followed the next day with, “A slight rise in the thermometer is predicted by the weather bureau for today.”

Frost was present in many communities of Washington County, The Granville Sentinel reported on Sept. 14.

Fort Ann: “Frost was seen in many localities Friday morning.”

Raceville: “The severe frost of last week made bad work with the corn, buckwheat and potato crops.”

Hampton: “The frost of last week was very severe. It has damaged corn, buckwheat and other vegetables very much.”

Granville: “An early fall and a severe winter are prophesied by the weather prophets.”

Frost also came early in 1887.

“The first frost of the season occurred last Friday evening,” The Granville Sentinel reported on Sept. 23.

“As autumn merges into winter the growing corn is supplanted by growing chilblains,” The Sentinel reported on Sept. 30.

Yet, farmers had already reaped a bountiful harvest.

“It has been a year of abundant product to reward the husbandman, and a remarkable exception from the ravages of pestilence,” the Sentinel mused on Sept. 16. “Certainly, we have had cause for thankfulness for the possession of such a goodly heritage.”

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