Eighteenth century weather

[earsnow]

Has anybody else read the journals of Gilbert White,the 18th century naturalist. There are some great accounts of severe winter weather! He writes about the extraordinary frosts of 1784,when they had a vast snow on the 7th december.By the 9th the lanes were impassable! He mentions the thermometer fell to 4degrees by 11 o`clock on the 9th and 1/2 a degree below zero on the 10th of december! (whats that in centigrade?)It started to thaw on the 3rd of jan 1785. Another notable set of entries was from 1788.The frost started on november the 23rd and continude with lots of heavy snow till jan the 15th 1789, when the snow melts!!

If only we could see weather like that again it might just cure me of my obcession with snow (never!)

Anyway, theres lots of weather accounts in the book with dates,almost makes you wish you were back in those days!

[Terminal Moraine]

It's also worth reading 'Lorna Doone' by R.D Blackmore for the excellent account of the 1683/84 winter, the coldest on the CET record.

-0.5f is about -18.3c.

T.M

[earsnow]

Thanks for that T.M. He also mentions, that he witnessed in the sunshine the air was full of icy "spiculae" floating in all directions,when the temps were very low?

There are also his accounts of the summer of 1783,when Iceland had major eruptions. Alarming meteors,tremendous thunder-storms,intense heat and blood red sunsets!

[Terminal Moraine]

Thanks for that T.M. He also mentions, that he witnessed in the sunshine the air was full of icy "spiculae" floating in all directions,when the temps were very low?

There are also his accounts of the summer of 1783,when Iceland had major eruptions. Alarming meteors,tremendous thunder-storms,intense heat and blood red sunsets!

Otherwise known as Diamond Dust, earsnow. I saw that on a couple of occasions in December 1981.

There may have been some in 1963 but, if so, I wasn't aware of it at such a tender age.

T.M