The Fire of Summer 1854: A Look Back

[donsutherland1]

With Memorial Day approaching to mark the unofficial start of summer and May bringing almost unprecedented warmth to the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, there are vivid reminders that another summer is almost upon us.

Can broiling, sun-drenched, sweat-soaked days be far behind?

At this time, as we await summer's arrival, it is a good time to look back 150 years ago to the hot Summer of 1854.

What made that summer's heat even more extraordinary was that urbanization was far less advanced than today making the heat island effect far less pronounced. Then, New York City area (including the then separate Brooklyn) had a population under 700,000 persons, Boston and Philadelphia had fewer than 150,000 persons, and Washington, DC was a veritable town with a population under 50,000.

The first fire of that summer broke out on June 29 in New Orleans. With a population of less than 130,000, a more accurate description of the "Big Easy" might have been the "Little Easy." On that day, the City was cooked far beyond "easy over" as the mercury climbed to 100°.

That heat expanded northeastward and by July 3, high heat was baking the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States.

The report from Philadelphia stated, "The heat has been most intense today. The thermometer reached 95° in the shade."

In Baltimore, the heat was "most oppressive" with a high of 94°.

This was an appetizer for the extreme heat of July 4.

At Poughkeepsie, New York in the Hudson Valley, the temperature rose to 92°. Given that it was Independence Day, the news account from that city stated, "Thermometer 92°, Patriotism 112°."

At Philadelphia, the temperature topped out at 93°.

Meanwhile, farther north, a downsloping west wind torched New York City to Boston. At Brooklyn, the temperature reached 100°.

In New England, both Concord, New Hampshire and Boston fried under 100° temperatures.

The July 8, 1854 edition of <i>The New York Daily Times</i> (now <i>The New York Times</i>) provided the following description of the July 4 weather in New York City:

<i>Thermometer 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Far enough is the heat in all conscience. A relentless blinding sun pouring vertically upon the streets and converting the sidewalks into a series of kitchen ranges, where innumerable soles are frying. A suffocating Simoon or burning wind, sweeping heavily in through every open window... Rooms are darkened in vain; iced cobblers are of no avail. We come to the rapid conclusion that there is not a cool corner on the face of the habitable globe.</i>

A few days afterward, the heat eased but only temporarily.

On July 19, the most fierce heat wave of the summer took hold.

At Schenectady, New York, the temperature topped out at 102°, making it the hottest day in that city in central New York State since 1836.

July 20, saw the eastern U.S. sizzle under more extreme heat.

High temperatures included:
Baltimore: 102°
Boston: 91°
Concord, NH: 101°
Philadelphia: 100°

On July 21, the blast furnace remained focused on the East. The temperature soared to 99° in New York City, 100° at Springfield, Massachusetts and 102° in Philadelphia, its highest reading in 8 years.

Even more remarkable, at 10 pm, the temperature remained at a lofty 100° in Philadelphia.

On July 22, the heat began to ease back. Even as the temperature reached the century mark for the third consecutive day at Springfield, the ascent of Boston's thermometer was stopped at 94° by a "light east wind" that set in. Thunderstorms rumbled nearby late in the day.

The heat continued to step down a day later with the temperature reaching 93° in Baltimore. Farther north, a line of vicious thunderstorms broke the back of the heat in New England. A cooling rain followed.

The July 24, 1854 issue of the <i>Springfield Republican</i> reported:

<i>The past week has been one of remarkably severe heat, standing out in this respect from the marked weeks of ordinary seasons. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday last were the hottest days and on each of these, thermometers went above 100 in the shade in this and most other of the exposed towns and cities of all this section of the Union...

Sunday afternoon brought a more extended and effective rain and lightning storm, which seemed to break the hold which the excessive heat had upon the earth. At any rate for an hour from half past four to half past five--there were more rain and more thunder and lightning, than few, if any of our citizens remember to have been crowded into the same time before. The wind was high, and so veered from point to point, as for that time to keep the storm-cloud apparently directly over Springfield; and out of it poured the water in almost unbroken sheets, and flashed the lightning and rolled and cracked the thunder in startling and terrifying intensity and rapidity...

The rain caused great damage to the roads and walks and gardens about the city by washing and gullying; the wind blew down numerous trees and branches thereof; and both together prostrated the growing corn... Very rare, indeed, do we experience such a storm; and its remarkable characteristic and serious results will long be remembered in this locality.</i>

July 24 saw a refreshing rain drench Philadelphia and Baltimore with the thermometer "tending downwards."

The next report of heat in the East didn't come until late August. Then, on August 22, the temperature hit 90° in Philadelphia.

In addition to its heat, the summer was also remarkable for its lack of rainfall. On August 29, 1854, <i>The New York Daily Times</i> reported that "There has been no rain in that vicinity [Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, New Hampshire] for many weeks."

August ended with cool breezes. The report from Boston on August 31 stated, "This evening it is quite cool, the wind East, and a heavy fog is gathering, with strong indications of rain."

However, this heavy fog and cool East wind did not quite bring down the curtain on the hot Summer of 1854. It would take one more fiery day to close out the summer.

On September 6, the thermometer rocketed one last time. At Boston, the temperature peaked at 94°. Portland, Maine was transformed into a broiled lobster under 94° heat. Concord was roasted under a withering 98°.

After that, summer's furnace was finally turned off. The heat eased and eventually the increasingly cool winds of the changing seasons took hold. Nevertheless, even as winter's cold ultimately swept the summer into the past, the remarkable heat of Summer 1854 had seared memories that would last for years to come.

[donsutherland1]

BTW, the news account that referred to the hottest weather in Philadelphia in 8 years might have been referring to the July 14, 1845 heat there.

The July 16, 1845 issue of The Brookly Daily Eagle reported, "In Philadelphia, on Monday, the termometer ranged as follows: At 10 1-2 o'clock, 93; noon, 100; 2 o'clock, 102; and 3 o'clock, 101. The Ledger of yesterday, remarking upon this, says--'It is distressing weather for the poor horses, many of which have dropped down dead in the streets.'..."

It would also be interesting to note that the monthly and annual normal temperatures for Philadelphia (1825-54) were cooler than the normal temperatures for New York City today (1971-2000):

..................Philadelphia...........New York City
.................1825-54..1971-00..1971-00
Month.........Normals...Normals...Normals

January.......32.0.......32.3........32.1
February......33.2.......34.8........34.6
March.........41.4........43.2........42.5
April............51.9.......53.1........42.5
May............62.7.......63.5........62.6
June...........71.2.......72.3........71.2
July............76.0.......77.6........76.5
August........73.3.......76.3........75.1
September...65.7.......68.8........67.5
October.......54.6......57.2........56.6
November....43.9.......47.1........47.1
December....35.6.......37.4........37.3

Annual........53.3.......55.3........54.6

The 3 coolest years during the 1825-54 period were:

1836 49.6°
1837 50.7°
1838 51.2°

The 3 warmest years during the 1825-54 period were:

1828 55.7° (just 0.4° warmer than today's normal annual mean temp.)
1830 54.9°
1848 54.8°

The 3 coolest summers during the 1825-54 period were:

1836 68.7°
1837 70.5°
1839 70.7°

The 3 warmest summers during the 1825-54 period were:

1831 78.0°
1828 76.0°
1854 75.5°
1830 75.5°

Finally, for what it's worth, here are the extremes for May during this period:

Coolest:

1850 57.8°
1838 58.2°
1849 58.4°

Warmest:

1826 72.0°
1828 66.0°
1831 66.0°