Roger Smith Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I'm wondering if anyone has any data for the winter of 1843? There was evidently a severe storm at the end of January across the Great Lakes and Midwest. Here are the only data points I have for the event. At Toronto, the 31st of January had temperatures just above freezing (high 36F) and 2.50 inches of rain is reported. The Toronto weather station had only started three years earlier and unfortunately there are no surviving daily snowfall data for most years before 1846. The first day of February had a high of 37 F probably early on, as it then dropped off to 15 F by evening and -4 F on the 2nd. The 2.50 inches of rain at Toronto in one day was by some considerable margin the largest one-day fall in January. I don't have recent years handy but in the old book of daily records that is my source for this, the second highest amount was 1.67 inches in 1937. I have daily temperature records for Marietta OH. These show a sharper temperature drop from the 30s to the low teens over that period. A very mild spell had preceded the storm with some days well into the 50s F. In both cases, the weather all through Feb and March was colder than normal. And one final data fragment is from an account of weather in Minnesota, where it is noted that a blizzard roared through on January 30th followed by a 30 degree temperature drop, strong NW winds on the 31st and temperatures in the -5 F range. I googled the storm but only got references to weather in March 1843 when apparently it was very cold to the end of the month even in the deep South. Any additional data for this storm, from Chicago or Detroit or Ohio as well as the northeast states possibly? I have vague recollection of hearing about this as a major blizzard in the western Great Lakes from a weather-historian friend many years ago, but wonder if a track and intensity estimate could be constructed for it. There was a new moon on Jan 30, 1843 at 12z and some other energy peaks relevant to my research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris L Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Roger, search March 1843 on the fourm. I have the file on my computer; hang on. http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/7460-nycphl-potential-jan-11-14-event-discussion/page__st__1085__p__248263__hl__march%201843__fromsearch__1#entry248263 go to post #1111 for the file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 NYC had a mild January and cold February and March... http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/31022-monthly-and-annual-temperature-for-nyc/page__fromsearch__1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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