The Summer it was Winter by Cindy Regnier

Mount Tambora

On a sweltering day in mid-summer, have you ever wished for winter? How about just temperatures that were a little cooler? If we had been alive in 1816, we might have experienced this phenomenon known as a volcanic winter, and from all reports, it wasn’t a good thing. Let’s find out what happened.

On April 5, 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano located in Indonesia, started rumbling beginning with small tremors. Then, on the evening of April 10 1815, a massive eruption took place, blowing apart the entire mountain. The event was catastrophic in Indonesia causing clouds of hot, poisonous volcanic gases called pyroclastic flows and tsunamis that killed over 10,000 of the island people and destroyed more than 35,000 homes. Several feet of volcanic ash floated on the surface of the ocean in the region causing ships to have to plow through it to move. 

Pyroclastic flow

The smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough that they spread through the atmosphere over the following months and had a worldwide effect on climate. In Ireland torrential rains flooded crops and in India, a new strain of cholera killed millions along with starvation. Across the ocean in Europe and North America experienced what is known as volcanic winter. Summer never arrived that year. Snow fell in the New England States in June. Crops were killed by frost and a lack of sunshine. Food became scarce.

The fishing industry suffered as the water never warmed enough for many species of fish to spawn. Feeding horses and other livestock became very expensive increasing travel costs. Frozen birds dropped into the fields. Farmers in Vermont who had already shorn their sheep tried to tie their fleeces back onto the cold animals, but many froze to death. In Salem, MA July 4th was extremely cold. Chauncey Jerome wrote that it was hard to feel patriotic while watching men play quoits in their heavy overcoats.

The cold persisted into late summer, in what should have been harvest season. In July, lakes and rivers were frozen as far south as northwestern Pennsylvania, while frost remained in Virginia into late August. Temperatures fell from normal summer temperatures to near-freezing within hours, all because of a volcanic eruption on the other side of the world.

On September 13, a Virginia newspaper reported that corn crops would be one-half to two-thirds short and lamented that “the cold as well as the drought has nipt the buds of hope”.

Amongst all the tragedy and hardships were a few bright spots. Feeding horses was so expensive that a German named Karl Davis was inspired to create the bicycle. Staying indoors was the impetus for a competition to see who could write the most frightening story. Mary Shelley penned her classic Frankenstein and Lord Byron wrote the poem Darkness, which begins, “I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguish’d.” Farmers gave up trying to make a living in New England and started heading to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, hoping for a better – and warmer – life. As a result, there was a dramatic population shift in the west, so much so that this influx of people would lead to Indiana becoming a state in 1816, with Illinois gaining statehood two years later.

It took about three years for the weather to fully return to normal and even longer for the economy to strengthen again in the New England States. Next time you see a record low temperature on a summer weather forecast, just remember that most record keeping systems didn’t begin until 1880. It stands to reason that the summer of 1816 just might have been the lowest of all in the northeastern United States. 

 

 Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.