January 2025

[bluewave]

1 hour ago, LibertyBell said:

Back in the early 00s, how many winters in a row did JFK have a January mean below 32.0 Chris?

 

2004 was the last time that JFK had a top 10 coldest January. There have been 5 top 10 warmest Januaries since 2002. The last below 0° reading at JFK was January 1985.

Time Series Summary for JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY - Month of Jan
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1	1977	21.9	0
2	2004	24.6	0
3	1968	25.6	0
4	1994	26.3	0
5	1981	26.5	0
6	1982	26.7	0
-	1970	26.7	0
7	2003	27.6	0
-	1961	27.6	0
8	1971	27.9	0
9	1976	28.0	0
10	1957	28.2	0

 

 

Time Series Summary for JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY - Month of Jan
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1	1985	-2	0
2	1982	-1	0
-	1977	-1	0
3	1994	0	0
-	1968	0	0
4	2004	1	0
5	1976	2	0
6	2019	3	0
-	2014	3	0
-	1957	3	0
7	2018	4	0
-	2000	4	0
-	1997	4	0
-	1988	4	0

 

Time Series Summary for JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY - Month of Jan
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1	2023	41.8	0
2	1950	40.5	0
3	1998	39.6	0
4	1990	39.4	0
5	2006	39.1	0
6	2002	38.9	0
7	2020	38.7	0
8	2017	38.6	0
9	1949	38.1	0
10	1975	37.9	0

[JustinRP37]

3 hours ago, the_other_guy said:

Blizzard Conditions currently at Belleayre!

Damn I was going to be there today but I have a cold  and then meetings came up. 

[LibertyBell]

22 minutes ago, bluewave said:

2004 was the last time that JFK had a top 10 coldest January. There have been 5 top 10 warmest Januaries since 2002. The last below 0° reading at JFK was January 1985.

Time Series Summary for JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY - Month of Jan
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1	1977	21.9	0
2	2004	24.6	0
3	1968	25.6	0
4	1994	26.3	0
5	1981	26.5	0
6	1982	26.7	0
-	1970	26.7	0
7	2003	27.6	0
-	1961	27.6	0
8	1971	27.9	0
9	1976	28.0	0
10	1957	28.2	0

 

 

Time Series Summary for JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY - Month of Jan
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1	1985	-2	0
2	1982	-1	0
-	1977	-1	0
3	1994	0	0
-	1968	0	0
4	2004	1	0
5	1976	2	0
6	2019	3	0
-	2014	3	0
-	1957	3	0
7	2018	4	0
-	2000	4	0
-	1997	4	0
-	1988	4	0

 

Time Series Summary for JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY - Month of Jan
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1	2023	41.8	0
2	1950	40.5	0
3	1998	39.6	0
4	1990	39.4	0
5	2006	39.1	0
6	2002	38.9	0
7	2020	38.7	0
8	2017	38.6	0
9	1949	38.1	0
10	1975	37.9	0

Thanks Chris, would any of the coldest Februarys (like 2015) or Decembers (like 1989) have made the coldest month list?

 

[the_other_guy]

Were their wide discrepancies in high temps today region wide?

Seems odd to see 55 degrees

[Stormlover74]

5 minutes ago, the_other_guy said:

Were their wide discrepancies in high temps today region wide?

Seems odd to see 55 degrees

Mostly low to mid 50s

[Brian5671]

50 here for the high-dropping quickly now

[bluewave]

Today was a great example of how much models like the Euro have been struggling with all the westerly flow in January. The EPS had a 11 day run of NYC not getting above 32° which was much too cold from the 6th to the 16th. Then had lows near 0° last week around NYC which were around 10° too cold. Same today with the Euro having a high at JFK of 46° which was 9° too cool for the 55° high. This is why the monthly average temperatures came in several degrees above the forecasts from earlier in the month. They should develop a way for AI to fix this cold bias. 

 

[donsutherland1]

Ahead of a cold front, the temperature surged across the Middle region. High temperatures included:

Atlantic City: 57°
Baltimore: 58°
Bridgeport: 52°
Islip: 53°
New York City-Central Park: 52°
New York City-JFK Airport: 55°
New York City-LaGuardia Airport: 53°
Newark: 54°
Philadelphia: 53°
Washington, DC: 64°

A cold front crossed the region this afternoon. The frontal passage was followed by winds that gusted past 40 mph in much of the region. In the wake of the front, it will turn briefly colder, but the coldest anomalies will occur across Upstate New York and New England.

Moreover, the cold won't rival that of last week. Although the cold air mass has origins in northern Russia, that region has been experienccing near record and record warmth. As a result, the air mass is not exceptionally cold.

January will likely end with a rebound in temperatures and rain developing across the Middle Atlantic region on Friday morning. New York City and Philadelphia could pick up 0.50" or more. Upstate New York State and northern New England could see snow and ice.

January 2025 is on course to become New York City's coldest January since January 2022. January 2022 had a mean temperature of 30.3°. January 2022 was far snowier with 15.3" monthly snowfall in New York City vs. 2025's 3.0". In contrast, January 2024 (2.3") and January 2023 (Trace) saw even less snowfall than January 2025. In fact, five of the six past years have seen less snowfall in New York City than January 2025.

The AO is now positive and is expected to remain predominantly positive through at least the first week of February. As a result, prospects for a 6" or above snowstorm in the New York City area will be limited. Since 1950, just 2 of 19 (11%) of storms with an AO of +2.000 or above during January 15-February 15 saw 6" or more of snow in New York City. Opportunities for a 6" or above snowstorm could persist for parts of southern New England, including Boston, through the first week of February. There is substantial uncertainty concerning the AO following the first week of February. The spread among ensemble members is currently a remarkable 8 sigma.   

The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was -0.4°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was -0.9°C for the week centered around January 22. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged -0.08°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged -0.80°C. La Niña conditions are underway and will likely persist into the start of spring.

The SOI was +14.28 yesterday.

The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.549 today.

Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 100% probability that New York City will have a colder than normal January (1991-2020 normal). January will likely finish with a mean temperature near 30.9° (3.0° below normal).

 

 

[TheClimateChanger]

19 minutes ago, donsutherland1 said:

Ahead of a cold front, the temperature surged across the Middle region. High temperatures included:

Atlantic City: 57°
Baltimore: 58°
Bridgeport: 52°
Islip: 53°
New York City-Central Park: 52°
New York City-JFK Airport: 55°
New York City-LaGuardia Airport: 53°
Newark: 54°
Philadelphia: 53°
Washington, DC: 64°

A cold front crossed the region this afternoon. The frontal passage was followed by winds that gusted past 40 mph in much of the region. In the wake of the front, it will turn briefly colder, but the coldest anomalies will occur across Upstate New York and New England.

Moreover, the cold won't rival that of last week. Although the cold air mass has origins in northern Russia, that region has been experienccing near record and record warmth. As a result, the air mass is not exceptionally cold.

January will likely end with a rebound in temperatures and rain developing across the Middle Atlantic region on Friday morning. New York City and Philadelphia could pick up 0.50" or more. Upstate New York State and northern New England could see snow and ice.

January 2025 is on course to become New York City's coldest January since January 2022. January 2022 had a mean temperature of 30.3°. January 2022 was far snowier with 15.3" monthly snowfall in New York City vs. 2025's 3.0". In contrast, January 2024 (2.3") and January 2023 (Trace) saw even less snowfall than January 2025. In fact, five of the six past years have seen less snowfall in New York City than January 2025.

The AO is now positive and is expected to remain predominantly positive through at least the first week of February. As a result, prospects for a 6" or above snowstorm in the New York City area will be limited. Since 1950, just 2 of 19 (11%) of storms with an AO of +2.000 or above during January 15-February 15 saw 6" or more of snow in New York City. Opportunities for a 6" or above snowstorm could persist for parts of southern New England, including Boston, through the first week of February. There is substantial uncertainty concerning the AO following the first week of February. The spread among ensemble members is currently a remarkable 8 sigma.   

The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was -0.4°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was -0.9°C for the week centered around January 22. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged -0.08°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged -0.80°C. La Niña conditions are underway and will likely persist into the start of spring.

The SOI was +14.28 yesterday.

The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.549 today.

Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 100% probability that New York City will have a colder than normal January (1991-2020 normal). January will likely finish with a mean temperature near 30.9° (3.0° below normal).

 

 

Widespread record-breaking warmth likely over the Upper Midwest tomorrow. The forecast high of 53F for GRB would obliterate the daily record by 11F, and come within 3F of the all-time January monthly record high. La Crosse, Wisconsin may reach 57F, which would match the all-time monthly high.

Some records for 1/30 to keep an eye on, with forecast values in bold, for sites with long PORs:

Minneapolis: 48F Forecast: 49F

St. Cloud: 44F Forecast: 44F

Eau Claire: 50F Forecast: 48F

Madison: 47F Forecast: 54F

Milwaukee: 53F Forecast: 54F

Rockford: 52F Forecast: 54F

Chicago: 55F Forecast: 53F

Green Bay: 42F Forecast: 53F

Wausau: 43F Forecast: 48F

Rhinelander: 44F Forecast: 44F

La Crosse: 48F Forecast: 57F

Rochester: 48F Forecast: 53F

[LibertyBell]

17 minutes ago, donsutherland1 said:

Ahead of a cold front, the temperature surged across the Middle region. High temperatures included:

Atlantic City: 57°
Baltimore: 58°
Bridgeport: 52°
Islip: 53°
New York City-Central Park: 52°
New York City-JFK Airport: 55°
New York City-LaGuardia Airport: 53°
Newark: 54°
Philadelphia: 53°
Washington, DC: 64°

A cold front crossed the region this afternoon. The frontal passage was followed by winds that gusted past 40 mph in much of the region. In the wake of the front, it will turn briefly colder, but the coldest anomalies will occur across Upstate New York and New England.

Moreover, the cold won't rival that of last week. Although the cold air mass has origins in northern Russia, that region has been experienccing near record and record warmth. As a result, the air mass is not exceptionally cold.

January will likely end with a rebound in temperatures and rain developing across the Middle Atlantic region on Friday morning. New York City and Philadelphia could pick up 0.50" or more. Upstate New York State and northern New England could see snow and ice.

January 2025 is on course to become New York City's coldest January since January 2022. January 2022 had a mean temperature of 30.3°. January 2022 was far snowier with 15.3" monthly snowfall in New York City vs. 2025's 3.0". In contrast, January 2024 (2.3") and January 2023 (Trace) saw even less snowfall than January 2025. In fact, five of the six past years have seen less snowfall in New York City than January 2025.

The AO is now positive and is expected to remain predominantly positive through at least the first week of February. As a result, prospects for a 6" or above snowstorm in the New York City area will be limited. Since 1950, just 2 of 19 (11%) of storms with an AO of +2.000 or above during January 15-February 15 saw 6" or more of snow in New York City. Opportunities for a 6" or above snowstorm could persist for parts of southern New England, including Boston, through the first week of February. There is substantial uncertainty concerning the AO following the first week of February. The spread among ensemble members is currently a remarkable 8 sigma.   

The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was -0.4°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was -0.9°C for the week centered around January 22. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged -0.08°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged -0.80°C. La Niña conditions are underway and will likely persist into the start of spring.

The SOI was +14.28 yesterday.

The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.549 today.

Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 100% probability that New York City will have a colder than normal January (1991-2020 normal). January will likely finish with a mean temperature near 30.9° (3.0° below normal).

 

 

absolutely epic day, Don, I hope we see a lot of downsloping days just like this during the summer!!

 

[donsutherland1]

50 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

Thanks Chris, would any of the coldest Februarys (like 2015) or Decembers (like 1989) have made the coldest month list?

 

Only February 2015 would have made the top 10 list.

[LibertyBell]

10 minutes ago, TheClimateChanger said:

Widespread record-breaking warmth likely over the Upper Midwest tomorrow. The forecast high of 53F for GRB would obliterate the daily record by 11F, and come within 3F of the all-time January monthly record high.

Some records for 1/30 to keep an eye on, with forecast values in bold, for sites with long PORs:

Minneapolis: 48F Forecast: 49F

St. Cloud: 44F Forecast: 44F

Eau Claire: 50F Forecast: 48F

Madison: 47F Forecast: 54F

Milwaukee: 53F Forecast: 54F

Rockford: 52F Forecast: 54F

Chicago: 55F Forecast: 53F

Green Bay: 42F Forecast: 53F

Wausau: 43F Forecast: 48F

Rhinelander: 44F Forecast: 44F

I think we're going to see  a lot more weather like this instead of snowy midwest and snowy northern new england, etc.  Soon enough cold air will be scoured out of NA.

[LibertyBell]

1 minute ago, donsutherland1 said:

Only February 2015 would have made the top 10 list.

wow besides January 1977 it's the only top 10 coldest month in my lifetime.

 

[Cfa]

46 with flurries on the LIE.

[gravitylover]

10 hours ago, LibertyBell said:

and hopefully a drier pattern after an anomalously wet period that lasted for a few decades.

We need about 40"/yr here or things get sketchy so, not too dry. 

6 hours ago, the_other_guy said:

Blizzard Conditions currently at Belleayre!

I was in Kingston and watched it roll over and then down off the high peaks area. It was a fun 3 minute squall that made the salt spray off the roads horrible for the next few hours. Someone asked about temps around the area, it was 47° and heavy rain all the way up there and it was 48° in Catskill before the front passage.

[wishcast_hater]

Nice squall just came through my neck of the woods. Started as graupel and as the temps dropped turned to snow. Currently 28 at the homestead. Untreated roads whitened. Spruced up my snow pack.


.

[NorthShoreWx]

Here was Tuesday morning's squall on Route 28 near Phoenicia, NY:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eBJrGqRtnRPunUAN6

 

[BoulderWX]

WWA for freezing rain tomorrow? Odd 

[bluewave]

Similar pattern to December when the cold departures got smaller during the last week of the month. 
 

EWR…-1.8

NYC….-2.9

LGA…..-2.4

JFK…..-0.2

HPN….-1.9

BDR….-1.5

ISP……-1.8

AVG….-1.8

[LibertyBell]

13 hours ago, gravitylover said:

We need about 40"/yr here or things get sketchy so, not too dry. 

I was in Kingston and watched it roll over and then down off the high peaks area. It was a fun 3 minute squall that made the salt spray off the roads horrible for the next few hours. Someone asked about temps around the area, it was 47° and heavy rain all the way up there and it was 48° in Catskill before the front passage.

I agree, 40 inches a year is our long term average (or around there anyway).  48-50 inches is when it becomes too much.

Wow it sounds like you experienced a spring squall.

[LibertyBell]

11 minutes ago, bluewave said:

Similar pattern to December when the cold departures got smaller during the last week of the month. 
 

EWR…-1.8

NYC….-2.9

LGA…..-2.4

JFK…..-0.2

HPN….-1.9

BDR….-1.5

ISP……-1.8

AVG….-1.8

NYC and LGA are still way more than everyone else.

[LibertyBell]

14 hours ago, Cfa said:

46 with flurries on the LIE.

I missed this lol, how did you get snow at 46 degrees?

[SACRUS]

 

31 / 7  near 40 winds fading. January looks to end wet and taking away the driest month standings 0.25 - 0.50.  Kind of a back and forth to open Feb likely warmer than normal with the in between state of strong warmth just south and wets of the area and cold to the north.

 

 

[SACRUS]

 

Records:

Highs:

EWR: 66 (2013)
NYC: 64 (2006)
NYC: 64 (2006)
JFK: 62 (2006)


Lows:

EWR: 3 (1935)
NYC: -1 (1873)
NYC: -1 (1873)
JFK: 7 (2019)

 

 

Historical:  

 

1936 - Birmingham, AL, established a single storm record and 24 hour record with 11 inches of snow. (29th-30th) (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

 

1966: The Blizzard of 1966 impacted New York and paralyzed the region. The train service was disrupted. Numerous highways, the New York State Thruway from Albany to the Pennsylvania state line, and the Buffalo Airport and other airports throughout western and central New York were closed. The Syracuse-Oswego area's hardest hit, where Bob Sykes, a meteorology professor at the State University of New York at Oswego, reported a whopping 102.4 inches! Some schools in Orleans County were closed for the entire week following the blizzard. Economic loss from the storm was estimated at $35 million. Winds gusting to 60 mph and temperatures in the teens, and heavy and blowing snow created severe blizzard conditions.

1977 - The great "Buffalo Blizzard" finally abated after three days. The storm added a foot of new snow to 33 inches already on the ground. Winds gusting to 75 mph reduced visibilities to near zero, produced snow drifts twenty-five feet high, and kept wind chill readings 50 degrees below zero. The blizzard paralyzed the city, and caused 250 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)

1987 - A winter storm brought more heavy snow to the North Atlantic Coast Region, with 13.6 inches reported at Hiram ME. January proved to be the snowiest of record for much of Massachusetts. Worcester MA reported an all-time monthly record of 46.8 inches of snow. (National Weather Summary)

1988 - Strong southerly winds, gusting to 53 mph at Kansas City MO, spread warm air into the central U.S. Nineteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. Snow and strong northwest winds ushered cold arctic air into the north central states. The temperature at Cutbank plunged from 54 degrees to a morning low of 7 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary)

1989 - The temperature at McGrath, AK, dipped to 62 degrees below zero, and Fairbanks reported a reading of 51 degrees below zero, with unofficial readings in the area as cold as 75 degrees below zero. The massive dome of bitterly cold air began to slide down western Canada toward the north central U.S. Strong southwest winds ahead of the arctic front pushed the temperature at Great Falls MT to 62 degrees, and gusted to 124 mph at Choteau MT, overturning trucks and mobile homes, and a dozen empty railroad cars. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990 - A major winter storm produced heavy snow from Indiana to New England. It was the biggest storm in two and a half years for eastern New York State. Snowfall totals in the mountains of Maine ranged up to 20 inches at Guilford and Lovell. Other heavy snowfall totals included 17 inches at Utica NY, and 19 inches at Bethel VT, Ludlow VT, and New London NH. The storm claimed three lives in eastern New York State, and four lives in Vermont. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

2002 - One of the driest Januarys on record in Iowa was broken up by a winter storm that produced snowfall across the state from January 30-31. The snow was heaviest across southern and southeastern Iowa, where storm total accumulations ranged between 11 and 13 inches along and south of Chariton�s line through Ottumwa to Wapello and Burlington. The highest reported totals were 13.2 inches at Leon and 13.0 inches at Bloomfield and Fairfield.

2002: One of the driest Januarys on record in Iowa was broken up by a winter storm that produced snowfall across the state from January 30-31. The snow was heaviest across southern and southeastern Iowa, where storm total accumulations ranged between 11 and 13 inches along and south of Chariton’s line through Ottumwa to Wapello and Burlington. The highest reported totals were 13.2 inches at Leon and 13.0 inches at Bloomfield and Fairfield.

2005 - A significant ice storm struck parts of northern Georgia on the 30th-31st. Ice accretion was as great as 2 inches in Monroe county, located southeast of Atlanta. Power outages in the area at the height of the storm affected nearly 320,000 homes and businesses.

[Dark Star]

2 hours ago, BoulderWX said:

WWA for freezing rain tomorrow? Odd 

CYA?  With a high of 38 today, and a low of 32 tonight, freezing rain isn't likely.  Although we all know 32 is the freezing temperature, you really need something colder than that for freezing rain.  However, on some outlying areas, where untreated surfaces might be a tad colder, a light spotty drizzle could freeze on contact and cause havoc.  There is spot on the Garden State Parkway, somewhere near or just south of the PNC Bank Art Center, there is a section of the road (near a wetland) that on rare occasions freezes when there is a heavy dew or light fog and cars go skidding.  

[Stormlover74]

Looks like areas north east and south of nyc will do best. At least areas with the worst drought conditions will see more

[Snowshack]

3 hours ago, BoulderWX said:

WWA for freezing rain tomorrow? Odd 

Hope that doesnt greenlight another dumping of road salt

[bluewave]

Imagine how many posts the January 1780 thread would have had if online weather forums were around in those days.

 

[LibertyBell]

35 minutes ago, bluewave said:

Imagine how many posts the January 1780 thread would have had if online weather forums were around in those days.

 

I'd want to experience the 1780s for this and also for that volcanic eruption in Iceland that caused the mammoth winter of 1782-83 which I'm convinced was more snowy than any winter that has happened since.

 

No snowfall measurements from that winter anywhere?

 

[bluewave]

9 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

I'd want to experience the 1780s for this and also for that volcanic eruption in Iceland that caused the mammoth winter of 1782-83 which I'm convinced was more snowy than any winter that has happened since.

 

No snowfall measurements from that winter anywhere?

 

There was a 95 inches of snow report from New Haven for the 1779-1780 season.

 

https://www.nps.gov/morr/learn/historyculture/hard-winter-news.htm

 

ALL REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE WINTER OF 1779-80 IS THE WORST WINTER EVER KNOWN IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES

David M. Ludlum in his book Early American Winter 1604-1820, in the chapter on “The Hard Winter of 1779-80” writes that it was “the most hard difficult winter….that ever was known by any person living. There has been only one winter in recorded American history during which the waters surrounding New York City have frozen over and remained closed to all navigation for weeks at a time…the Hard Winter of 1780.”
According to Ludlum, January 1780 rated as the most persistently cold calendar month in the history of the eastern United States, and “The severity of the 1780 season reached all parts of the colonies. Reports from Maine southward along the seaboard to Georgia, and from Detroit down through the interior waterways to New Orleans, all chronicled tales of deep snow, and widespread suffering.”
Ludlum believed that his research definitely showed that the season of 1779-80 in the eastern United States well deserved the name given to it by the people that experienced its effects….The Hard Winter.

 

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS SUPPORT THIS BELIEF

William Smith (a loyalist living in New York City) records in his diary that on January 16, 1780, people were walking across the frozen Hudson River from New York to Paulus Hook (today Jersey City) New Jersey.
A Hessian soldier, Johann Dohla recorded in his diary on January 30, "The North (Hudson) and East rivers are frozen solid. The ice was checked and found to be eighteen feet thick. All ships were frozen in, and it was possible to cross over the North (Hudson) River on foot, riding or driving, without fear." Later, (on February 22) Dohla wrote "Today the North River ice began to break, after having been frozen for nearly seven weeks." A German officer, Major Baurmeister wrote, "The severe winter covered the North River with ice early in January; even where the current of the river is swiftest, the ice was eleven feet thick, in spire of the fact that it is 1800 yards wide between Fort George (today Battery Park, New York City) and Powles Hook."
February 1780 seems to have been even colder: On February 10, William Smith mentions in his diary that a few days earlier a "24 Pounder" (that is, a cannon that fired a solid ball weighing 24 pounds - the entire cannon weighed three tons) was rolled across the Hudson River to Paulus Hook (today part of Jersey City, New Jersey.) Smith goes on to say that even a heavy load as this it made no impression on the ice. On the night of February 10th, Smith heard that four to five hundred British cavalry rode their horses across the river.

 

MANY ACCOUNTS MENTION UNPRECEDENTED CONDITIONS

A teacher in Yale College (New Haven, Connecticut) recorded approximately twenty days with snowfall, and a total of 95 inches of snow that winter. People walked across the Sound from Stanford, Connecticut to Long Island. Others walked from Rhode Island mainland to Block Island. Chesapeake Bay and the York River in Virginia froze over for the first time since Europeans settled there. Many people mentioned in letters that they could not remember a winter as bad.