Snowstorm media hype in 1831

After watching the television news and weather reports about winter storm Nemo, I heard the term "old fashioned storm" several times.  I also heard the words "historic".  It seems that even in 1831 the reporters had the same vocabulary to describe blizzards...

From the Farmer's Cabinet, Amherst, New Hampshire, Saturday 22 January 1831 (found via GenealogyBank):

THE SNOW STORM

Accounts from the towns on the seacoast repre-

sent the late snow storm equal in novelty and

depth of snow, to the "old fashioned snow storms".

In this vicinity, however, the snow was not unus-

sually deep, although much blown into heaps.

     Boston.  A most unprecedented fall of snow, for

this lattitude, took place on Saturday and Sunday

last.  It was accompanied by a violet North Eas-

terly gale, which hurled the snow into immense

dirifts.  The southern mail due on Sunday evening

had not arrived last night.  Yesterday many of the

inhabitants of the city were occupied in cleaning

the side walks, and leveling the snow in the mid-

dle of the streets, and sled, sleighs and horses were

employed in efforts to smoothe the surfast - Pat.

     The editor of the Centinel, who returned from a

journey to Vermont after the storm, says, "Within

the recollection of the oldest citizen, we do not be-

lieve that there has ever been experienced, a storm

that has blocked up the roads so much in so short a

time.  I seems not to have been felt much in

Maine towards the East. But south, north, and 

west, it has extended far and wide."  "For some

20 miles our houses were pioneers.  In many pla-

ces the roads were blocked up above the fence, and

utterly impassable by horses."

     The Southern Mail, (says the Boston Gazette)

due on Tuesday evening, arrived about half past 

five o'clock last evening, bring the New-York

papers of Monday morning, the Philadelphia pa-

pers of Saturday evening, but none South of Bal-

timore later than Thursday.  We learn from the

New-York papers that the storm did no subside in

that city until Sunday evening.  from eighteen 

inches to two feet of snow, fell, and was much

drifted.  The Daily Advertiser says:-

     "The easterly wind drove the tide in with such 

force that many of the wharves were overflowed,

and the cellars on the margins of the rivers were 

in many instances filled with water.  We have no

heard of any particular damage to the shipping by

the gale, but there is reason to fear that vessels up-

on the coast must have suffered, as the cold has 

been severe.

     "The Southern mail due on Saturday morning,

did not arrive until late in the afternoon- the Eas-

tern mail was also detained - Yesterday, neither

the Eastern or Southern Mail had arrived at sun-

down, and no papers were consequently received

but those from the North."

    Salem- We have experienced since Saturday 

morning, a genuine old fashioned Snow Storm-

there was no mistake in it- it was worthy of the

best days of our fathers.  It began to snow about

10 o'clock, A. M. on Saturday, and continued with-

out intermission and without material abatement,

until Sunday evening, accompanied with a violent

wind from the N. E. blocking up our streets with

huge snow drifts, many of them ten footers, and 

some estimated as high as twelve or fourteen feet

in altitude!  The tide rose to a great height, but

we have not learnt of any essential damage to our

wharves.  The travelling mus be much impeded, 

and any vessels in our bay or upon our coast, must

have been in terrible peril. - Register.

     New York.  The storm began about 12 or 1 

o'clock.  Snow continued to fall without intermis-

sion till near night on Sunday- the wind a great

part of the time blowing a gale from the northeast.

It fell eight or nine inches deep, but touch blown in-

to heaps.  Old residents in the city have remarked

that have not known so severe a snowstorm in 

15 years.  The mail were greatly retarded.

     The storm commenced at Philadelphia on Fri-

day evening, and w learn from the National Ga-

zette, was raging furiously on Saturday afternoon.

     At Albany, the snow fell without intermission

from 9 o'clock on Saturday morning until 2 yeser-

day, P.M.  It is an average depth of about 18 in-

ches, but so much drifted, being accompanied by a

high and cold north wind.  The southern and

western mails had not arrived when our paper was

put to press; and the possablity is that the roads

in every direction are nearly impassable.- Albany 

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Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo