A Much Needed Resource

[Lubliner]

Has anyone ever tried to program a weather system that covers the whole duration of the war, day to day?
By drawing specific weather incidents reported in diaries, newspapers, reports, etc. and programming the data into a software such as a Doplar program could be huge help. Anyone wish?
Lubliner.

 

[Jimklag]

Have fun with that.

 

[JAGwinn]

I can imagine...
It rained all day the night I left,
The weather it was dry....

 

[rebed19th]

There is a book titled Civil War Weather in Virginia, by Robert Krick. The book does exactly what you are asking for. It has the data documented by amateur meteorologists in the Richmond and D.C. area from Oct 1860 till the end of the war. It is very interesting and easy to read. It can be easily found on line.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Has anyone ever tried to program a weather system that covers the whole duration of the war, day to day?
By drawing specific weather incidents reported in diaries, newspapers, reports, etc. and programming the data into a software such as a Doplar program could be huge help. Anyone wish?
Lubliner.

I think it would be a great resource. There's no doubt weather would have directly impacted campaigning and some battles, but those are details that perhaps don't always appear when a battle is being discussed.

 

[JOHN42768]

The theory unfortunately is like the weather itself. It can be raining a half mile away and I get 6-8" of snow. Elevation greatly effects what actually happens. There are to many variables to be able to say on a certain battlefield what the weather was unless from soldiers diaries or official reports. My two cents

 

[jgoodguy]

Have fun with that.

What I thought.

 

[Lubliner]

I think it would be a great resource. There's no doubt weather would have directly impacted campaigning and some battles, but those are details that perhaps don't always appear when a battle is being discussed.

Really though, it is not too difficult. Gettysburg is hot, but how hot is it? Fredericksburg must be cold in December, but how cold was the 13th? Campaigning on the Peninsula, when Lowe's equipment was tried out, how windy was it? Somehow these facts must be recorded somewhere. The collection of it may be time consuming but not too difficult. Look at Kentucky in a dry spell all summer of 1862. Look at the rains during Thomas's tenure in 1865. All these weather are pertinent to the battle situations. The real problem is after the collection how to quantify it. I never had a lesson on a spreadsheet. Thank you all for the responses. @rebed19th d19th, I will look into that.
Lubliner.

 

[Borderruffian]

Really though, it is not too difficult. Gettysburg is hot, but how hot is it? Fredericksburg must be cold in December, but how cold was the 13th? Campaigning on the Peninsula, when Lowe's equipment was tried out, how windy was it? Somehow these facts must be recorded somewhere. The collection of it may be time consuming but not too difficult. Look at Kentucky in a dry spell all summer of 1862. Look at the rains during Thomas's tenure in 1865. All these weather are pertinent to the battle situations. The real problem is after the collection how to quantify it. I never had a lesson on a spreadsheet. Thank you all for the responses. @rebed19th d19th, I will look into that.
Lubliner.

Well, when it's to cold to slaughter the hog,,,,,,,,,,it's just too cold.

 

[ARW]

Really though, it is not too difficult. Gettysburg is hot, but how hot is it? Fredericksburg must be cold in December, but how cold was the 13th? Campaigning on the Peninsula, when Lowe's equipment was tried out, how windy was it? Somehow these facts must be recorded somewhere. The collection of it may be time consuming but not too difficult. Look at Kentucky in a dry spell all summer of 1862. Look at the rains during Thomas's tenure in 1865. All these weather are pertinent to the battle situations. The real problem is after the collection how to quantify it. I never had a lesson on a spreadsheet. Thank you all for the responses. @rebed19th d19th, I will look into that.
Lubliner.

Gettysburg was recorded 3 times a day
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ba...s-md-weatherpage-0629-20130628-story,amp.html

 

[Lubliner]

Gettysburg was recorded 3 times a day
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ba...s-md-weatherpage-0629-20130628-story,amp.html

I really hate to laugh at myself, but within the last 48 hours I ran across my first temperature reading from the Civil War, at 94 degrees Fahrenheit. The problem is I can't recall where, and though I wrote down now I can't locate the note. This is a tardy thought hopefully, and when it does appear I will post it.
Lubliner.

 

[Lubliner]

Have fun with that.

My sentiments exactly!
Lubliner.

 

[John Hartwell]

Many years ago I recall seeing a book doing just that for the Revolutionary War period. They went through hundreds of diaries, giving date, location, and recorded weather observations (almost every diary comments on weather -- many of them not much else!).

It's a HUGE job!

 

[Lubliner]

The Lewis and Clark Expedition had it, so I have heard. At least correct me if I am mistaken. I was put off by the lack of language skills.
Lubliner.