James Madison Papers
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Appendix: Meteorological Journal for Orange County, Virginia, 1 April–26 June 1786, and 18 January 1787

Appendix

Meteorological Journal for Orange County,
Virginia, in Madison’s Hand

1786 Thermr sunrise Wind sunrise Weather Sun-rise Thermr 4 OC. PM Wind 4 OC. P.M. Weather 4 OC. P.M. Shooting &c. of Plants & c. Appearance & c. of birds & c. Miscellanea
April 1 43 NE mixture of snow & hail driving with considerable force 43 NE still snow & hail driving from NE. Thermr. 26. in air Forward cherries & a few peaches killed.
2 36 NW windy, clouds broken, snow 5½ inches deep & very firm 45 NW fair Daffodil & Jonquil blossoms bit, & some killed
3 40 W fair, snow frozen so hard as to bear a man. 52 SSW fair, snow nearly gone
4 49 S cloudy, snow gone, 9 O C. beginning to rain 51 E raining fast, as it has done since 9 O C. A.M.
5 48 NE still raining 46 NE still raining
6 44 SW fair, surface of ground thinly frozen, tops of blue ridge covered with snow 58 W fair
7 52 SW fair 58 N fair
8 51 SE cloudy 54 SE somewhat cloudy
9 50 NE somewhat cloudy 58 E somewhat cloudy
 
10 47 NE somewhat cloudy NE Sky muddy
11 fair 52 E somewhat cloudy
12 46 NE by E somewhat cloudy 54 NE by E somewhat cloudy, windy
13 46 NE somewhat cloudy & moist 55 NE somewhat cloudy
14 48 & 32 [illegible] N fair 64 NE fair
15 54 NE smokey 66 E fair
16 54 SW somewhat cloudy 68 SW smokey
17 60 NE smokey NW 60 W somewhat cloudy & windy
18 54 W somewhat cloudy fair
19 56 smokey NW 65 SE somewhat cloudy Whip poor Will first heard
20 56 E cloudy & damp 55 E cloudy & damp
21 48 NE raining 52 NE still raining
22 54 S cloudy & foggy after much rain 60 SE broken clouds
23 58 NE foggy & cloudy 59 E cloudy & damp
24 57 NE raining 62 NE almost fair (24) Asparagus first at dinner
25 58 SW somewhat cloudy 66 N somewhat cloudy & windy (25) Humming bird appears
26 60 N by E fair 70 N fair
27 58 SW fair 74 N by E fair
28 62 SW fair 73 W somewhat cloudy tulips blowing
29 67 SW somewhat cloudy 70 N fair, windy (29) 9 oC. P.M scattered & transient streams of Aurora Bor. from NNW to NNE
30 55 N fair 62½ N fair
May 1 57 SW fair 72 NE sky muddy NW
2 62 NE fair, somewhat smokey 72 NE fair
3 62 E air thick 70 SE fair
 
4 60 SE sky somewhat muddy 70 NE air thick primrose begins to blow (4) forward peas beginning to blossom
5 60 E air thick 68 NE sky muddy
6 57 NE somewhat cloudy 66 NE sky muddy pionies blowing
7 60 NE air thick 6 fair Wood bine in blossom Humming birds frequent
8 62 W sky muddy, air thick fair.
9 62 NE somewhat cloudy air thick 70 E smokey
10 63 NE cloudy NW 72 E fair
11 61 SW cloudy & foggy (12 oC. raining) 62 SW cloudy
12 63 S foggy fair
13 62 NE cloudy & moist 66 W fair Cherry birds observed
14 62 W fair 76 SW fair
15 66 SW fair 72 NE showers of rain with thunder
16 66 NE cloudy & foggy 68 SW cloudy Strawberries beginning to rendden [sic]
17 63 SW by W fair 65 N fair & windy Cherries beginning to redden
18 60 SW fair 66 SW by W flying & watery clouds, 6 oC. shower of rain
19 58 N fair 66 N fair
20 59 E somewhat cloudy 63 E cloudy
21 62 E somewhat cloudy 72 W moderate shower with good deal of thunder
 
22 66 NE by E cloudy & foggy 67 E cloudy & foggy
23 65 ENE cloudy, after rain during night NE cloudy (23) strawberries first at table
24 60 NE raining 62 E cloudy (24) garden peas first at dinner
25 60 E rainy, clouds low & very thick 62 E raining clouds, still low & very thick
26 57 NE rainy & very thick 62 NE very thick & misty
27 62 S cloudy & misty 70 E flying clouds
28 NE raining fast & clouds very low & thick 70 W fair, after heavy rain during forenoon
29 67 S somewhat cloudy 71 SE very showery, from 5 to 6 OC. a most powerful rain
30 68 E cloudy & foggy 74 E fair, 6 OC. moderate shower
31 68 E raining 71 ENE cloudy & showery
June 1 67 ENE raining, clouds very low & thick 70 ENE moderate rain, clouds low & thick
2 68 ENE light rain, clouds low & thick 72 E cloudy & showery
3 69 E very thick & rainy 76 NNE fair (3) Cherry birds disappear
4 70 NNE fair 78 E fair
5 72 E fair 81 NE fair
6 73 SE foggy 80 NNE fair
7 74 NNE foggy 81 WSW fair
8 74 W fair 76 SE somewhat cloudy after thunder shower SW
9 69 NNE somewhat cloudy 80 ENE fair
10 70 SE cloudy 79 fair
11 71 SW foggy & cloudy 81 W fair
 
12 69 SW fair 75 W fair
13 67 W fair 77½ SW fair
14 69 N fair 82 E fair
15 74 SW fair 85 SSW fair
16 77 SSW fair 86 S fair
17 78 SSW somewhat cloudy 82 SW fair
18 77 SW very little cloudy small thunder shower passing from NW towds. NE
19 76 NNE somewhat cloudy 82 E fair
20 73 SW fair 83 SE fair
21 68 NE cloudy & likely for rain, after moderate shower in night 76 NE cloudy
22 62 N somewhat foggy 77 N fair (22) strawberries last at table
23 66 N fair 78 SW fair
24 70 SW somewhat cloudy 77 SW thundercloud SE
25 74 SSW fair fair
26 74 NE fair1 Cloudy
[1787 January]
18 42 SW Fair 50 W fair & very windy2

Ms (PPAmP). JM’s purpose for keeping records of Orange County weather is explained in Appendix B, Papers of Madison, VIII, 514–15. The readings were instigated by Jefferson and kept by JM while he was at Montpelier, but in time the journal became a family affair. After JM’s relatives took over the task in June 1786, JM made the 18 January 1787 notation, then made brief entries again in the summer of 1792 and in April 1793.

1JM’s entries ended here. Members of the family continued the journal, beginning with the afternoon entry here, “Cloudy.”

2JM’s first entry since 26 June 1786, and only the afternoon record is in his hand. On 21 January 1787, the journal entry for 4 P.M. conditions records: “thin clouds. Jemmy set off for N. York.”

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