The Year without a Summer

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The Year without a Summer

Description

The unusual climatic aberrations of 1816 had the greatest effect on the Northeastern United States, the Canadian Maritimes, Newfoundland, and Northern Europe. Typically, the late spring and summer of the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada are relatively stable: temperatures (average of both day and night) average about 20–25 °C (68–77 °F), and rarely fall below 5 °C (41 °F). Summer snow is an extreme rarity.

In the spring and summer of 1816, a persistent dry fog was observed in the northeastern United States. The fog reddened and dimmed the sunlight, such that sunspots were visible to the naked eye. Neither wind nor rainfall dispersed the "fog". It has been characterized as a stratospheric sulfate aerosol veil.^[6]

In May 1816,^[1] frost killed off most of the crops that had been planted, and on 4 June 1816, frosts were reported in Connecticut, and by the following day, most of New England was gripped by the cold front. On 6 June 1816, snow fell inAlbany, New York, and Dennysville, Maine.^[7] Nearly a foot (30 cm) of snow was observed in Quebec City in early June, with consequent additional loss of crops—most summer-growing plants have cell walls which rupture even in a mild frost. The result was regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality.

In July and August, lake and river ice were observed as far south as Pennsylvania. Rapid, dramatic temperature swings were common, with temperatures sometimes reverting from normal or above-normal summer temperatures as high as 35 °C (95 °F) to near-freezing within hours. Even though farmers south of New England did succeed in bringing some crops to maturity, maize and other grain prices rose dramatically. The staple food oats,^[8] for example, rose from 12¢ abushel ($3.40/m³) the previous year to 92¢ a bushel ($26/m³)—nearly eight times as much. Those areas suffering local crop failures had to deal with the lack of roads in the early 19th century, preventing any easy importation of bulky food stuffs.^[9]

Cool temperatures and heavy rains resulted in failed harvests in the British Isles as well. Families in Wales traveled long distances as refugees, begging for food. Famine was prevalent in north and southwest Ireland, following the failure ofwheat, oat and potato harvests. The crisis was severe in Germany, where food prices rose sharply. Due to the unknown cause of the problems, demonstrations in front of grain markets and bakeries, followed by riots, arson and looting, took place in many European cities. It was the worst famine of the 19th century,^[7][10]

In China, the cold weather killed trees, rice crops and even water buffalo, especially in northern China. Floods destroyed many remaining crops. Mount Tambora’s eruption disrupted China’s monsoon season, resulting in overwhelming floods in the Yangtze Valley in 1816. In India the delayed summer monsoon caused late torrential rains that aggravated the spread of cholera from a region near the River Ganges in Bengal to as far as Moscow.^[11]

In the ensuing bitter winter of 1817, when the thermometer dropped to -32 °C (-26°F), the waters of New York's Upper Bay froze deeply enough for horse-drawn sleighs to be driven across Buttermilk Channel from Brooklyn to Governors Island.^[12]

The effects were widespread and lasted beyond the winter. In eastern Switzerland, the summers of 1816 and 1817 were so cool that an ice dam formed below a tongue of the Giétro Glacier high in the Val de Bagnes; in spite of the efforts of the engineer Ignaz Venetz to drain the growing lake, the ice dam collapsed catastrophically in June 1818.^[13]

[edit]Causes

It is now generally thought that the aberrations occurred because of the 1815 (April 5–15) volcanic Mount Tambora eruption^[14][15] on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia (then part of the Dutch East Indies). The eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index ranking of 7, a super-colossal event that ejected immense amounts of volcanic dust into the upper atmosphere. It was the world's largest eruption since the Hatepe eruption over 1,630 years earlier in AD 180. The fact that the 1815 eruption occurred during the middle of the Dalton Minimum (a period of unusually low solar activity) is also significant.

Other large volcanic eruptions (with VEI at least 4) during the same time frame are:

• 1812, La Soufrière on Saint Vincent in the Caribbean
• 1812, Awu on Sangihe Islands, Indonesia
• 1813, Suwanosejima on Ryukyu Islands, Japan
• 1814, Mayon in the Philippines

These other eruptions had already built up a substantial amount of atmospheric dust. As is common following a massive volcanic eruption, temperatures fell worldwide because less sunlight passed through the atmosphere.

[edit]Effects

As a result of the series of volcanic eruptions, crops in the above cited areas had been poor for several years; the final blow came in 1815 with the eruption of Tambora. In the United States, many historians cite the "Year Without a Summer" as a primary motivation for the western movement and rapid settlement of what is now western and central New York and the American Midwest. Many New Englanders were wiped out by the year, and tens of thousands struck out for the richer soil and better growing conditions of the Upper Midwest (then the Northwest Territory).

Europe, still recuperating from the Napoleonic Wars, suffered from food shortages. Food riots broke out in the United Kingdom and France and grain warehouses were looted. The violence was worst in landlocked Switzerland, where faminecaused the government to declare a national emergency. Huge storms, abnormal rainfall with floodings of the major rivers of Europe (including the Rhine) are attributed to the event, as was the frost setting in during August 1816. A majortyphus epidemic occurred in Ireland between 1816 and 1819, precipitated by the famine caused by "The Year Without a Summer". It is estimated that 100,000 Irish perished during this period. A BBC documentary using figures compiled in Switzerland estimated that fatality rates in 1816 were twice that of average years, giving an approximate European fatality total of 200,000 deaths.

The eruption of Tambora also caused Hungary to experience brown snow. Italy experienced something similar, with red snow falling throughout the year. The cause of this is believed to have been volcanic ash in the atmosphere.

In China, unusually low temperatures in summer and fall devastated rice production in Yunnan province in the southwest, resulting in widespread famine. Fort Shuangcheng, now in Heilongjiang province, reported fields disrupted by frost and conscripts deserting as a result. Summer snowfall was reported in various locations in Jiangxi and Anhui provinces, both in the south of the country. In Taiwan, which has a tropical climate, snow was reported in Hsinchu and Miaoli, while frost was reported in Changhua.^[16]

Historic cases of volcanic winter

Pinatubo early eruption 1991

The scales of recent winters are more modest but their effects can be significant.

The extreme weather events of 535–536 are most likely linked to a volcanic eruption.

The Great Famine of 1315–1317 in Europe may have been precipitated by a volcanic event,^[2] perhaps that of Kaharoa, New Zealand, which lasted about five years.^[3]

In 1452 or 1453, a cataclysmic eruption of the submarine volcano Kuwae caused worldwide disruptions.

In 1600, the Huaynaputina in Peru erupted. Tree ring studies show that 1601 was cold. Russia had its worst famine in 1601 to 1603. From 1600 to 1602, Switzerland, Latvia and Estonia had exceptionally cold winters. The wine harvest was late in 1601 in France, and in Peru and Germany wine production collapsed. Peach trees bloomed late in China, and Lake Suwa in Japan froze early.^[4]

A paper written by Benjamin Franklin in 1783 blamed the unusually cool summer of 1783 on volcanic dust coming from Iceland, where the eruption of Laki volcano had released enormous amounts ofsulfur dioxide, resulting in the death of much of the island's livestock and a catastrophic famine which killed a quarter of the population. Temperatures in the northern hemisphere dropped by about 1 °C in the year following the Laki eruption.

The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, a stratovolcano in Indonesia, occasioned mid-summer frosts in New York State and June snowfalls in New England and Newfoundland and Labrador in what came to be known as the "Year Without a Summer" of 1816.

In 1883, the explosion of Krakatoa (Krakatau) also created volcanic winter-like conditions. The next four years after the explosion were unusually cold, and the winter of 1887 to 1888 included powerful blizzards.^[5]. Record snowfalls were recorded worldwide.

Most recently, the 1991 explosion of Mount Pinatubo, another stratovolcano in the Philippines, cooled global temperatures for about 2–3 years.^[6]

Armageddon

Is it Armageddon? 10cm's of Snow fell in Charlotte Pass Lookout in the NSW Snowy Mountains as a cold snap hit the Eastern Coast of Australia.

Dublin Airport Closed, flights cancelled across Europe.  Nobody going anywhere in time for Christmas.

The front garden looks like a thick duvet is covering the drive, neither of our cars are home because they are somewhere down the street where we abandoned them.

So is the theory about the Volcanic Eruption that is causing the weather to go screwy true?  I guess I should try and find out.

I found this in The History of British Weather which has some rather remarkable likenesses to what is happening here now:  http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=other;type=winthist;sess=

1683-84: Now when people think of 'The Big One' in terms of winters, they think of 1947,1963 etc. But there was one winter that easily surpassed both! This winter! Mid December saw the 'great frost' start in the UK and Central Europe. The Thames was frozen all the way up to London Bridge by early January 1684. The frost was claimed to be the longest on record, and probably was. It lasted kept the Thames frozen for 2 months, it froze as deep as 11 inches. Near Manchester, the ground had frozen to 27 inches, and in Somerset, to an astonishing 4 feet! This winter was the coldest in the CET series, at -1.2! (1739-40 was -0.4) This winter was described by R.D. Blackmore, in his book 'Lorna Doone'. In mid February there was a thaw. 

1688-89: Long and severe frosts, Thames froze over. 

1690-99: 6 out of 10 of the winters in this period were described as severe, judging by their CET. Meaning their average temperatures for December, January, February and March were below 3c. 1694-95 heralded deep snow, with falls of continual snow affecting London. This lasted for 5 weeks, along with the freezing of the Thames. This heavy snow and frost theme, continued for a good long while. In fact 1695 is believed to have been one of the coldest years ever recorded, the severe snowy winter ended around mid April, at which time arctic sea ice had extended around the entire coast of Iceland! 1695-96 saw -23c (?) in the UK. A severe winter. The autumn of 1697 was very cold, with snow persisting, and ice forming. The winter of 1697-98 was severe, with a CET of about 1c. Snow and ice built up. Ice on coasts built up to 8 inches in parts. Spring very cold. Generally the late 1600s were very cold, and people probably were affected very badly by this. The cold probably brought famine to the poor, as livestock perished, and crops failed. And without central heating, it must have been unbearable in parts. The 'Little Ice Age' lived up to its name. The final few years weren't as bad, but harvests were still ruined generally as wet weather took over from the cold. 

The 1600s were generally a period of harsh severe winters, and cool/wet springs/summers. At points the Thames was frozen for months, although I think it would have been wider then (?) and shallower (?) so easier to freeze when the temperatures were right. 



1739-40: Severe winter, one of the worst. May have been worse than that of 1715 (?). Late December saw a severely strong Easterly gale set up, brining very cold air over the UK. Ice formed on the Thames, once again. Streets were blocked up with ice and snow, which made travelling hazardous. The Thames remained frozen over for about 8 weeks (?). Some reports said this winter was the most severe on record, with temperatures falling to -24c in early January (1995 beat this and holds the record for the coldest minima in the UK ever). The Easterly gale persisted, with snow and frost becoming an increasing hazard to all. Northerlies also started up, very strong in places, with again snow and ice. This winter can be noted as one of the most severe of all time (since records began). 


AND HERE IS SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD THIS YEAR!!!


1783-86: Two succesive severe winters. The Thames froze completely in both, almost continuous frost lasted from early to late winter. Snow remained for as long as 4 months. Attributed to an Icelandic volcanic eruption, although details regarding this are slim. Heavy snow also fell early on in both years, with snow falling as early as October. 1784 was a cold year generally. Sleet was recorded near the coast of the Moray Firth in August! Heavy snow fell in the South in October. The year was ranked in the top 10 coldest years recorded in the CET series. 1785 was very dry and cold, with again early snow in October. 1786 had a very dry summer, and was persistantly cold from September to November. 


813-1814: Not many of the 1800s winters had I heard of before about 3-4 years ago, but this one I had, due to its severe cold. One of the 4/5 coldest winters in the CET series. Colder winters included: 1962-63 (see part 1739-40 (see part 3) and the coldest, 1683-84 (see part 2) 'Lorna Doone'. A memorable winter overall. January to March was very cold. January had a CET of -2.9 (third coldest since records began?) The next comparible year in terms of cold weather being 1962-63. The tidal stretch of the Thames froze for the last time, the old London Bridge was removed, and other factors helped increase the rivers flow, preventing ice forming again. If it was the same now as it was back then, we would still see it being frozen. A frost fair was held on the Thames, possibly the last 'great' one. The frost began in late December, approaching the new year. Thick fog came with the frost, as was common in London at the time. Probably one of the snowiest winters in the last 300 years, although 1947 was likely to have been snowier. Heavy snow fell for 2-3 days in early January, before a temporary thaw of 1 day. Then the frost just returned, possibly more severe than before due to the snow cover, and persisted until early February. A thaw followed later, and ice floating down the river damaged ships. Fog was also a hazard and took a long time to clear, lasting from late December to early January, an unusual occurrence. Visibility was down to 20 yards at times! Traffic hardly moved, and travelling became very dangerous. The fog cleared following a Northerly gale in early January, when heavy snow fell. A severe and very snowy winter.

1816: Known as the year without summer, snow fell very late on, and the summer never recovered. The winter proceeding it was severe. A volcanic eruption (Tambora: East Indies) disrupted wind patterns and temperatures greatly, affecting the track of depressions, which tracked further South than usual, and making the UK very cold an wet for the summer and beyond. Scotland was drier though, an obvious sign that the depressions changed track. In September the Thames had frozen! Snow drifts remained on hills until late July! 

1819-20: Severe winter. -23c was recorded at Tunbridge Wells, although no details of exposure are evident. 


1834-38: Snowy winter in Scotland. Snow lasted well into March, with 8 or 9 feet of snow being reported in parts! This trend continued for a number of winters, with a lot of snow in Scotland. From early winter, December, to late winter, March, snow was a problem. There were considerable accumulations, becoming common throughout the winter. Snow fell widely, but mostly in the North of Scotland, where accumulations were very large, right through until April. 1836-37 was another snowy winter in the series, with heavy falls of snow in January. Blizzards began in late February, and lasted into March. Transport was severely disrupted, and harvest damaged by harsh frosts. This series of winters was severe, and notable, especially for Scotland, but very bad elsewhere also. The most notable of the snowstorms being:

October 1836, snow reached depths of 5-6 inches, very unusual.

25th December 1836, roads impassable, snow depths reached a staggering 5-15 feet in many places, and most astonishingly, drifts of 20-50 feet!!!!!!!!!

1837-38: Murphys winter. Patrick Murphy won fame and a small fortune from the sale of an almanac in which he predicted the severe frost of January 1838 (a 2 month frosty period set in with a light SE wind & fine day with hoar frost on the 7th (or 8th) January) (quoted from a web-page). 20th January saw temperatures as low as -16c in London, accepted as the coldest recorded here of the 19th century. -20 recorded at Blackheath, and -26c at Beckenham, Kent. The temperature at Greenwich was -11c at midday!!!! The Thames froze over.
1838: Snow showers on 13th October, possibly in London and the South. 


1885-1886: Snow fell in October, November, December, January, February, March, April and May! London recorded 1ft of snow in7 hours in early January. In the North a blizzard dumped 2ft of snow widely, and in May the North of England got a heavy fall. Very Snowy

1878-80: 2ft of Snow fell in Oxford in October! A ferocious blizzard raged in the North East in March. 10th June saw snow in Scotland, of 6 inches! 11th July reportedly saw snow in the South and East, Keswick saw snow above 1000ft.

From 1895-99 the UK had 4 consecutive years of little/average snowfall, of which the only noteworthy fall was of 1ft in the Eastern spine of the country. 1899-00 saw general snow of 1ft, 2ft in places. The following year wasn't exceptional either, although 5-7ft of snow was recorded in North Wales and Northern England. Both years were snowy. 


1932-33: Late October, snow fell in Scotland, an early start to the skiing season! Late February there was a Great Blizzard, for Ireland, Wales, South West England, Northern England, and the Midlands. Whipsnade recorded 2ft of snow, Harrogate and Huddersfield 30 inches, Buxton 28 inches! Very Snowy. 


VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS:



LAKI (1783) -- The eastern U.S. recorded the lowest-ever winter average temperature in 1783-84, about 4.8^OC below the 225-year average. Europe also experienced an abnormally severe winter. Benjamin Franklin suggested that these cold conditions resulted from the blocking out of sunlight by dust and gases created by the Iceland Laki eruption in 1783. The Laki eruption was the largest outpouring of basalt lava in historic times. Franklin's hypothesis is consistent with modern scientific theory, which suggests that large volumes of SO2 are the main culprit in haze-effect global cooling.
TAMBORA (1815) -- Thirty years later, in 1815, the eruption of Mt. Tambora, Indonesia, resulted in an extremely cold spring and summer in 1816, which became known as theyear without a summer. The Tambora eruption is believed to be the largest of the last ten thousand years. New England and Europe were hit exceptionally hard. Snowfalls and frost occurred in June, July and August and all but the hardiest grains were destroyed. Destruction of the corn crop forced farmers to slaughter their animals. Soup kitchens were opened to feed the hungry. Sea ice migrated across Atlantic shipping lanes, and alpine glaciers advanced down mountain slopes to exceptionally low elevations.
KRAKATAU (1883) -- Eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau in August 1883 generated twenty times the volume of tephra released by the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Krakatau was the second largest eruption in history, dwarfed only by the eruption of neighboring Tambora in 1815 (see above). For months after the Krakatau eruption, the world experienced unseasonably cool weather, brilliant sunsets, and prolonged twilights due to the spread of aerosols throughout the stratosphere. The brilliant sunsets are typical of atmospheric haze. The unusual and prolonged sunsets generated considerable contemporary debate on their origin.They also provided inspiration for artists who dipicted the vibrant nature of the sunsets in several late 19th-century paintings, two of which are noted her
PINATUBO (1991) -- Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines on June 15, 1991, and one month later Mt. Hudson in southern Chile also erupted. The Pinatubo eruption produced the largest sulfur oxide cloud this century. The combined aerosol plume of Mt. Pinatubo and Mt. Hudson diffused around the globe in a matter of months. The data collected after these eruptions show that mean world temperatures decreased by about 1 degree Centigrade over the subsequent two years. This cooling effect was welcomed by many scientists who saw it as a counter-balance to global warming.

Snowy Week - Sunday 28th Nov 2010 - Friday 3rd December 2010

The Big Snow

I decided to search the internet to see when Dublin & Ireland had so much snow before and I came across this article which was really interesting:



AN ACCOUNT OF THE BIG SNOW”
(24TH FEBRUARY 1933)


Monday Night 8.30pm

My Dear M & B,

I hope you are both well and that you did not experience the awful blizzard, which visited us on Friday last. We have just been through the biggest snowstorm in living memory. I believe the last similar one occurred in 1867. I had often pictured in my mind what it would be like to have the roads blocked with snow six to eight feet deep, but now we have the reality.

I believe this storm will rank in the minds of the peasantry with the big wind of 1839 and the lesser one of 1903. It will be a long time until all the episodes of the storm will be narrated and then of course they will all have to be told over and over again.

I should mention of course that we do not know yet how Sissie has faired, but of course we hope for the best.

Now to begin, we were invited down to Brady’s (the shop) for a card game on Thursday evening, but as it commenced to snow about six o’clock Ma and Gretta would not set out. I was glad after that they didn’t as it was snowing heavily at ten o’clock and eleven and we would have got it very hard to get home.
On Friday morning we awoke to find the ground covered with snow, only about an inch, however, and it was not snowing then. When we were eating our breakfast at nine o’clock it commenced to snow again, rather fine snow with a driving north wind.

I started out to school and was overtaken by Mrs. Kelly at Peter Garvey’s Cottage, she was a sight. Her coat and hat being covered with frozen snow. As we proceeded down the exposed portion of the road, we felt the full force of the icy blast and I was forced to cover my ear with my hand as I could not stand the cold.
Fourteen children answered the roll call and I made up my mind that I would dismiss them at 12 o’clock, I expected the priest down then to hear confessions. We could see through the school windows that it was snowing heavily all the time and that the wind had increased but we had no idea it was so awful outside.
At 12 o’clock the children got their cocoa and I went round to the little house to tell Mrs. Kelly and Miss Plunkett that I would let them home. At this time it was impossible to see more that two yards ahead of you on the road and as I was going into the school again I thought I saw a load of fodder or something at the churchyard gate. On closer investigation it proved to be a mound of snow about seven feet high.
I then marshalled the kids and told them how to proceed on the homeward journey. I gave them strict instructions to keep together and to go into the nearest house when they could proceed no further.
Peter Gaynor called in then and said that he got it very hard to get down. He took his own children in tow and also all who were going his way. Sissie Reilly went with him too and as she was to go up to Keogh’s for the milk, I told her to wait for me at Keogh’s gate. 

I then locked up, muffled up and proceeded homewards with two wee cans of water from the pump. The snow was heaping up on the left hand side of the road and even on the right side it was 10 feet deep in places. I was almost winded when I got to Keogh’s gate and was glad of the shelter. I saw that there was a small tree right across the road a few perches ahead.

Since Sissie Reilly was not appearing I had to go up to Keogh’s for her. The yard was filled with Sheep and Cattle all covered with snow, the weirdest thing you ever saw. Sissie Reilly and I then started for home. When we got on to the road we honestly could not see one yard ahead of us with the driving snow, while the icy wind almost took our breath away. I got the wind up in more senses than one and Sissie Reilly became hysterical. I judged it better to stand awhile to draw our breath. Thus fortified we started off again, often floundering through snowdrifts two and three feet deep. 

At last Peter Gaynor’s cottage loomed ahead and I went into see did they all get home safely and what became of the two Mulvany’s from Seymourstown who had also been at school. I found that Peter had them inside and I took them up to our house. I met Paddy Nulty starting out to meet Sissie and when he left Sissie in, he came up after me to tell me how he was going down to tell me not to let out the children until someone called for them.

I then got the wind up about three children who had to go on beyond the little new cottage on the Virginia Rd. Station road. I know that if they were overcome I would be partly to blame. Paddy Nulty volunteered to inquire after them as he had to go down to tell the postman that he could not drive him into Kells.
I could hardly eat my dinner with the excitement of my journey home and my anguish about the children. However, Paddy Nulty reappeared in about an hour and a half with the following story.

He found that the two girls remained in Finnens but that the little fellow had started out on his own! Paddy then started out with the two girls (I should mention that Frances Nulty was with them too). They inquired at Daly’s and found that young Walshe had passed there anyway. They then entered the next collage and found him sitting at the fire. It appears he went on a little farther but getting a bit bogged had the good sense to come back.

The Nulty’s, having collected him, started out again, but on being confronted with a wall of snow ten feet high, they returned and defrosted the children in the last mentioned cottage. They were not removed from there until 9.30 that night although within a quarter of a mile of their own home. This story eased my mind regarding the children and I started to enjoy the comforts of a good fire. I should mention that I gave Paddy Nulty a glass of whisky for his trouble. I had a mouthful when I came home myself as I was shivering like an aspen, not so much with the cold as with fright.

Gretta in the meantime was looking after the needs of our two protégés. Their father arrived about half four, dead beat. It took him three hours to do the journey and he was nearly lost in a snowdrift at Johnny Smiths gate. It appears he began to shout for help on approaching our house but of course was not heard above the howling of the storm. We could not of course allow him face home again and so we had three for the night. 

The back door could not be opened with all the snow that was against it (it opens out you know) and so I went out with a shovel to relieve matters. I found no table, no paraffin tanks, but a big heap of snow up to the latch of the door. I had a nice job to shovel it away while the storm still raged. The open shed was filled almost to the roof with snow while there was about a foot of snow on top of the car in the shed. The house had a peculiar appearance on the outside, every window was completely blocked up with snow and there was a fringe of snow about six inches wide all round the frames of the front door. Mrs. Kelly and Miss Plunkett got as far as Keoghs where they remained for the night. The postman remained in his little tin hut all night. It was very weird to be sitting inside at the fire listening to the howling of the storm, while we could see nothing, as all the windows were blocked up with snow. 

The hens did not put even their beaks out all day. They had to be fed inside in their house and locked up again immediately, they only got one feed. As poor Judy and Pearl would have no place to lie outside they were kept indoors, both that night and the next and I must say they behaved very decorously indeed.
Ma and in fact we all were troubled about Sissie, afraid she would be so foolish as to try and brave the storm in her endeavours to reach Piercetown. As I said before we do not yet know how she fared. The storm eased off about nine o’clock. We heard on the wireless that it was pretty bad in Dublin too. All traffic stopped etc.The Shannon Scheme Wires were broken down, all communication with the provinces was cut off both by road, rail and wire and there were several pathetic S.O.S’s.

Well we slept but on Saturday morning what a sight met our eyes when we ventured forth. I should say here that I was up and out at 8 o’clock and after a preliminary survey I armed myself with a shovel and started to excavate passages from the various doors and sheds etc.

The road from our house to Peter Gaynor’s was pretty clear, there being only about two feet of snow on it, but from the pump right across the road to Nulty’s garden, there was a hill of snow seven feet high at least. I could not look across it. This hill continued up to John Lynch’s shed, here there was a valley and beyond that again the snow was eight feet deep almost to Brennan’s Cottage. The surface of the snow was not level, but in places took on the most fanciful shapes like curling waves or the curved backs of old fashioned furniture. 

On the Chapel side the snow become deep below Gaynor’s Cottage and from that down to Keogh’s was eight feet deep all the way. Neddy Quinn from Barney Hill was the first wayfarer to pass by. He was going to look after Cattle at Condy’s Cross. It took him three hours to reach our house and as he breasted the snowy waves armed with a short shovel, which he plunged in the snow at every step, he looked like an intrepid Polar explorer or a bold Swiss Mountaineer. Mrs. Kelly came next escorted by Johnny Keogh (Miss Plunkett faced home across the fields with another escort), then came the postman, trudging his weary way to Kells. Paddy Nulty and I then faced for Finnens for water and of course cigarettes, I resurrected by leggings for the occasion.

It was comparatively easy to walk on top of the snow and in places we walked into the fields and on to the road again just for the fun of it. From Keoghs to Finners the road was not too bad and on the left side of the road there was a pass all the way only about one foot deep. When we arrived, old Finnen was busy cutting a pass from the shop door to the pump. Here the snow was 2 feet deep.

Tuesday 3.00 pm
The children’s father faced home after breakfast on Saturday morning, but he did not bring them with him so we had them on Saturday night too. After dinner on Saturday Gretta and I faced for the well at Brennan’s. We had quite an exciting journey and while the snow was for the most part hard, we now and again sank down to our knees. Barney called down to see us. He said that the road from his house to Condy’s Cross was even worse than ours.

The question now was how long would the snow remain and how long would the food supply hold out. Well we were lucky to have a good supply of bacon, butter, tea, sugar, flour and some bread, while we could procure fresh mutton from Keoghs.

I had to dispense some bags of coal to the neighbours so as to keep the home fires burning. On Sunday morning we were up betimes, but the snow had abated very little. We were not sure whether the priest could come or not and we were in and out watching him.

We could see the people walking across the snow clad fields from Balgree and Ballyhist and then a lot of people appeared in the field beyond Nulty’s garden (it was easier to go by the fields). Then Father Drake appeared breasting Mt. Blanc at John Lynch’s shed and behind him in single file came 15 or 20 others. 
Gretta and I went down to mass which was short and sweet. We met Mickie after mass and he told us that both Matt and Alick were again confined to bed and that Alicks breathing was a bit short. Matt too is very feeble and has to be helped in and out of bed. They have a hard job nursing them both. Unfortunately I cannot go over to see them until the snows clear. We sent the two Mulvany’s home with their friends after mass on Sunday. I went down to school on Monday, but only a few scholars turned up so I packed them home again. I did the same to-day (Tuesday). It is much harder to travel to-day as the snow is soft and treacherous and I’m thinking it will be even worse to-morrow.

Some Items of the Storm:
The children set “elephant” traps in the snow and were well rewarded to see some travellers plunge into them.

Gaynor’s white goat did not become visible until Monday, she was covered up in a drift alongside our field. She is going strong.

Keogh’s had a goat, which only thawed out yesterday also they had been walking across her for two days in a big drift. She also is alive.

A few fields over beyond Nulty’s a bullock was smothered in a huge snowdrift. Several people had to dig sheep and lambs out of the snowdrifts.

I don’t know how the poor birds survived the storm but anyway they turned up quite perky on Saturday morning and gladly availed themselves of the crumbs we put in the window sills. 

We have, or rather the Nulty’s have, rediscovered a new well down a bit from John Lynches shed. It may turn out useful now that the pump is undrinkable. 

All roads from Dublin are passable to-day, except the Dublin to Kells road. The postman walked out from Kells to-day, but I hadn’t my letter ready for him. In any case it would get no farther than Kells as the Dublin road is blocked and the trains are not running on account of the railway strike. 

In front of our door the snow was level with the window sill. Some of the fields were hardly covered with snow while all the roads were blocked. It is raining heavy now (3.30pm Tuesday) so that will cause the snow to melt much faster. 

Katie Keogh was to have been married in Dublin this morning to a man called Fallon, a native of Multyfarnham. He has a garage in Clare Street, Dublin. Father Lynam was to go up to marry them and Mrs. Keogh, Johnny, young Seán and Miss Plunkett were to be there too. I suppose the wedding had to be postponed. Katie herself is in Dublin and may, however, have been married. 

Father Drake was saying mass in Johnny Tully’s on Friday morning. He had to leave his car there on the road and walk home. Several cars were snowed up between here and Oldcastle. Lynch’s big Lorry was the last car to pass on Friday morning. We shall anxiously await its return from Oldcastle, as it will be the dove with the olive branch, which will show us that the snow has abated from the face of the roads.

I hope Jimmie has by this time recovered from the flu. I suppose he is in the continent by this time. You cannot say at any rate that this is a short letter or an uninteresting one. I hope it will absolve me from writing again until after Easter in any case. Am not posting until tomorrow, Wednesday.


Your affectionate brother
Patsy


Late News:
The postman has just arrived with your weekly bulletin. We were glad to note that you all got over the storm ok. No word has arrived from Sissie yet. I am dropping her a line now as postal communication has been restored.

G and I were at mass this morning. We brought some ashes home to Ma. No school today either. We heard there were 9 or 10 lives lost in the storm. It is reported that 5 children were lost in the storm but the report is not confirmed. It appears Dr. Mulvany, our bishop, was on his way from Navan to Athboy on Friday last. He was forced to take refuge in a little shop outside Athboy (it must be near Moyaugher) and stayed there all night. He is still held up in Athboy. We heard to-day that K. Keogh may have been married as Fr. Drake walked into Kells and wired instructions to proceed with the marriage.


So long
Patsy


There is still 3 feet of snow on the road to chapel.


Courtesy of Ballinlough-Kilskyre Historical Society