While the fierce cold intensifies...

[donsutherland1]

With readings likely to fall below zero in Boston, Providence, and a large part of the Northeast and hints that an even colder air mass could overspread the region late next week, it might be a good time to recall some reports of three historic outbreaks of extreme cold:

<b>February 1899:</b>

<i>A dispatch...says Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are both cut off from communication with the outside world, vast fields of ice having formed solid barriers across the mouths of the harbors at those places... The present cold wave has continued longer than any other during the last dozen years along this coast, and the ice has attained a greater thickness than has ever been known.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> February 12, 1899

<i>Navigation on the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers is confined almost wholly to irregular trips of the ferry boats which play on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, NJ. The movement of merchant vessels has for the time ceased, owing to the choked condition of the rivers from drift ice.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> February 12, 1899

<i>Lake Michigan is known to be frozen nearly its entire width, for the first time in twenty-five years. Several of the Winter steamers plying between Michigan and Wisconsin ports are frozen in the lake.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> February 12, 1899

<b>December 1917:</b>

<i>A great thick blanket of intensely cold air, lying sluggisly over the country from the Mississippi Valley to the seaboard, has plunged the whole Eastern section of the United States into a cold snap, from which the Weather Bureau foresees no immediate relief.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> December 30, 1917

<i>Dec. 30, 1917, passed into history as the coldest day in New York within the memory of man or the record of the Weather Bureau.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> December 31, 1917

<i>With the mercury 20 derees below zero this morning and at no time during the day above the zero mark, this city [Poughkeepsie, NY] experienced its coldest day in many years. Many churches were obliged to cancel their services...</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> December 31, 1917

<i>In this city [Boston] the low record was 14 degrees below zero at 5 o'clock this morning. For three hours the temperature remained at that point and then it began to rise gradually until at noon it was 3 below. From 1 o'clock in the afternoon until 5 o'clock the readings were above zero, but at no time more than 2 degrees. By 6 o'clock it was zero again and within the next three hours the Weather Bureau's thermometer recorded a drop of five degrees.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> December 31, 1917

<b>February 1934:</b>

<i>With below-zero weather recorded, schools were closed, traffic was snarled and hospital attendants were kept busy attending cases of frostbite and exposure.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> February 10, 1934

<i>The temperature was 18 degrees below zero in Boston..., the coldest ever recorded here by the United States Weather Bureau. It was the second time this Winter that all-time cold weather records have been broken, the minimum of 17 below on Dec. 29 having been the new record until today.</i>
--<i>The New York Times</i> February 10, 1934

[Anonymous]

I can not even begin to articulate just how unbelievably elated I am today..........it is very cool outside. Many of you are saying it will get even colder, and it is taking me a while to get to sleep every night------I am so darn excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just the thought of taking a really chilly jebwalk-------That's enough to keep me wide awake til 4am-------Man I am having such an excellent time here in the normally mild Mid Atlantic, savoring each precious breath of chilly air

If we get a lot of snow and it stays cold, and if that wind comes up, You have not experienced a jebwalk until you have walked in truly chilly conditions with BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, with very low forward visibilities!!!!

I love winter SO MUCH!!!

Did I mention that I enjoy cool, refreshing weather?



-ARCTIC FREEZE JEB!!!!!!! BRING IT!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH I'M READY!!!!!!!!

[Dave C]

On the tail end of the arctic blast in Feb. 1899 a huge blizzard which buried some places in New Jersey under 3 ft. of snow. 2ft+ amounts were widespread over large portion of NE US!!!!.

[Stephanie]

Navigation on the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers is confined almost wholly to irregular trips of the ferry boats which play on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, NJ. The movement of merchant vessels has for the time ceased, owing to the choked condition of the rivers from drift ice.
--The New York Times February 12, 1899

It would be something to see if the Delaware once again ices up like that. Reading that report reminded me of Washington's trip across the Delaware. I'm only about 20 miles south of Philadelphia.

[donsutherland1]

Stephanie,

Believe me, if the Eagles lose, more than just the Delaware will ice up. Philly and its suburbs might become a lonely, desolate, frozen wasteland.

Just joking. I expect the Eagles to fly on to the NFC Championship game.

[donsutherland1]

Dave,

That was a fantastic blizzard and the wind chills were brutal during that storm. Snow even fell as far south as northern Florida:

<img src="http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/reference/rc18248.jpg">
Out riding in the snow : Live Oak, Florida (Author: Imprint: 1899. BIB Call Number: Rc18248 ISBN)

[Stephanie]

Stephanie,

Believe me, if the Eagles lose, more than just the Delaware will ice up. Philly and its suburbs might become a lonely, desolate, frozen wasteland.

Just joking. I expect the Eagles to fly on to the NFC Championship game.

How's that different from any other time???

I'm CAUTIOUSLY optimistic. I think alot of the fans around here are as well.

Fly, Eagles FLY!!

[vbhoutex]

If I remember my facts correctly Houston had 20" of snow from that storm before it made it up the East Coast. By far the most this city has ever seen and probably will see for many more decades to come.

[Valkhorn]

vbhoutex,

Houston's 20" was from an 1895 storm. 1899's snow storm didn't make it that far west

[vbhoutex]

vbhoutex,

Houston's 20" was from an 1895 storm. 1899's snow storm didn't make it that far west

I didn't check the date, just tried to remember. At least I got the century right!!!LOL!!!

[wx247]

vbhoutex,

Houston's 20" was from an 1895 storm. 1899's snow storm didn't make it that far west

I didn't check the date, just tried to remember. At least I got the century right!!!LOL!!!

We'll give you half credit for that David!!!

[JCT777]

It would be something to see if the Delaware once again ices up like that. Reading that report reminded me of Washington's trip across the Delaware. I'm only about 20 miles south of Philadelphia.

Stephanie - during the winter of 1993-1994, there was a time when the Delaware River froze, at least up near where I worked in Yardley, PA. I remember jokingly answering a co-worker's question "What are you doing for lunch?" with "Walking to New Jersey". The co-worker was puzzled, since there was no bridge near where our office was. Then I reminded the co-worker that the river was frozen.

[Stephanie]

It would be something to see if the Delaware once again ices up like that. Reading that report reminded me of Washington's trip across the Delaware. I'm only about 20 miles south of Philadelphia.

Stephanie - during the winter of 1993-1994, there was a time when the Delaware River froze, at least up near where I worked in Yardley, PA. I remember jokingly answering a co-worker's question "What are you doing for lunch?" with "Walking to New Jersey". The co-worker was puzzled, since there was no bridge near where our office was. Then I reminded the co-worker that the river was frozen.

I don't remember that, but I do remember that was one brutal winter - ice storms and such, so I'm not surprised!