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New England Weather

1762 Drought

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Chapters Overview 1635 Great Storm 1638 Earthquake The Earthquake of 1663 The Comet of 1664 1667 Strange Appearance 1676 Storm and Shipwreck The Comet of 1680 1682 Strange Appearance Dark Day of 1716 1716-1717 Winter 1718 Wreck of the Whidah 1719 Aurora Borealis Storm of 1722-23 1727 Earthquake 1740-1 Winter 1744 Earthquake 1747-48 Winter 1748 Hurricane 1749 Drought 1755 Great Earthquake 1759 Hurricane 1762 Drought 1768 Lightning 1768 Gale 1769 Summer 1770 Great Freshet 1770 Summer The Storm of October 20, 1770 Summer of 1771 1773 Hurricane The Storm of 1774 The Dark Day of 1780 1782 Hurricane 1785 Great Freshet 1786 Tornado 1786 Snow Storms The Cyclone of 1787 The Meteor of 1787 1788 Gale 1794 Whirlwind The Long Storm of 1798 1799 Hail Storm 1801 Freshet 1802 Great Snow Storm 1804 Storm 1806 Solar Eclipse The Freshet of 1807 The Meteorite of 1807 The Cold Friday of 1810 The Freshet of 1814 The Tornado in 1814 The Gale of 1815 The Cold Summer of 1816 The Tornadoes of 1821 Spring Freshet of 1823 The Spring Freshet of 1826 1826 Avalanche 1827 Gale and Freshet 1827 Wreck of the Almira1830 March Storm The Great Freshet of 1830 1833 Meteoric Display Winter of 1835-36 1839 Storms 1841 October Gale 1842 Snow Storm The Freshet of 1846 1849 October Storm 1851 Lighthouse Storm 1851 Tornado Storm of April, 1852

1759 Hurricane

1768 Lightning

IN eastern Massachusetts, there was a distressing drought in the summer of 1762. There was scarcely any rain from April 9 to August 18, and in some places, as at Danvers, until September 22. The month of April was cold, and the season was accordingly late. There was a slight drizzling rain at Boston May 7, but the next did not come till June 3. It was also showery there June 18. Nearly all the wells became drained, and grass was dried up, all sorts of vegetation being scorched by the burning rays of the sun. Everything appeared to have been burned. On the seventh of July a fast was held at Falmouth, in Maine, on account of the drought, but the services were scantily attended, as the men were busy in putting out the numerous fires that prevailed all through the locality, because of the dryness of the earth and vegetation. On the same day, and also on the thirteenth of the month, fasts and prayer-meetings were held in the towns around Milton, and the fifteenth was observed as a day of fasting and prayer in that town, the public meeting taking place at Rev. Mr. Robbins' church. On the twenty-fourth, there was a shower with terrific thunder and lightning at Dorchester, but it was confined to a very limited territory; and it was thought that more water fell at this time than had descended since the first of April. On the twenty-eighth, the people, being fearful that a famine would ensue, kept a public fast at Boston, Newbury and Falmouth, and probably at other places, to beseech God to avert the dreadful evil. But the earth became dryer daily, and vegetation seemed to die. Fires continued to break out in the woods, some of them burning over extensive territory. By the first of August it was thought that the crops would be an utter failure. The heavens continued to withhold their rain, the parched earth became more parched, and still there were no refreshing showers, except at and around Falmouth, in Maine, where bounteous rain had gladdened the earth on July 30 and August 13 and 16. August 18, rain descended in great quantities throughout the country. From that time forth there was no reason for complaint on account of lack of rain, except in a few small localities that had not received their full share of the supply.

Crops were very light, hay being so scarce the next winter that it was sold for four times its ordinary price. The farmers could not afford to keep their cattle until spring, and for this reason they slaughtered many of the animals, consuming the meat with the meagre supply of bread, which the failure of the corn crop yielded them, some of the people being reduced to suffering for want of meal.

Source: Historic Storms of New England by Sidney Perley, 1891

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