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An Excerpt from Jefferson's Weather Journals
p. 47 |
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Throughout his life, Thomas Jefferson was fascinated by the natural world. No matter where he traveled, he enjoyed keeping a detailed weather journal. Each entry had three columns: one for the date, a second for the time of day, and a third for the temperature. He would also include notes to indicate if there had been a frost or if it was particularly windy. On Jefferson's journal page to the left, the first entry was made on October 1st at 10 a.m. and shows that the temperature was 51 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the early 1800s, many people kept weather journals. Comparing the temperature and barometric pressure with those recorded on the same day in the previous year allowed them to see how the weather that year was progressing. Was it an unusually hot summer? Or a very cold winter? These comparisons helped farmers make decisions about planting and caring for their crops.
Farmers could also purchase almanacs that made predictions about the weather. The Old Farmer's Almanac, which is still published today, was first published in 1792. It included information about the length of the day, the tides, and the phases of the moon, as well as weather forecasts and planting tables to help farmers with their work.
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An Excerpt from Jefferson's Weather Journals
p.47
