It is hard to imagine that a phenomenon as simple as frost could cause so much havoc. Today, when we hear of an oncoming bout of frost, we start worrying about the plants and flowers in our back garden! However, this was not quite the case for the people in England when they suffered the Great Frost of 1776.

An eye witness account of this great frost is recorded in the dairy of Gilbert White as he relays the events as they happened in his Natural History of Selbourne.

The period of bad weather commenced early on in the January of 1776 with an unusually wet week. By January the 7th snow had started to fall and was fairly unrelenting along with an army of frost and sleet. This continued at the same pace and force up until the 12th of January "when a prodigious mass overwhelmed all the works of men, drifting over the tops of the gates and filling the hollow lanes."

By the 14th, "many of the narrow roads were now filled above the tops of the hedges." The great extent of the level of snow on the ground left many people stranded and unable to travel to their desired destinations both in the country side and the towns. Even the animals, such as hares, birds and poultry refused to move unless the overwhelming necessity for food took hold of them. However, finding the food through the unbelievable mass of snow was a different matter.

On the 20th the sun came out and raised the temperature a little and bringing hope that the snow would eventually thaw, but the very next day the temperature had plummeted again. With the arrival of the 27th, "much snow fell all day, and in the evening the frost became very intense" with the temperature dropping rapidly, and by the 31st the temperature was well below freezing point and fluctuating between a staggering -32F and -16.5F degrees.

Sometimes in the nights "the cold was so penetrating that it occasioned ice in warm chambers and under beds" and in the day "the wind was so keen that persons of robust constitutions could scarcely endure to face it."

Even the increased warmth in the towns was still unable to thwart the weather's relentless pursuit. The Thames River had completely frozen over, and the snow fall on the roofs of houses proceeded to abide there unmoved for twenty six days. "According to all appearances we might now have expected the continuance of this rigorous weather for weeks to come, since every night increased in severity; but behold, without any apparent cause, on the 1st of February a thaw took place, and some rained followed before night." And so the great frost came to an end after lasting for an entire month.

Most people, nowadays, are excited at the fall of snow, but for such weather to last for an entire month in a country that is not particularly accustomed to such weather can be disastrous. Snow and great frosts such as that in 1776 can effectively halts lives as travel would have been impossible, food production was ruined and therefore provisions would have been in very short supply, and the cold alone in houses with no form of central heating would have been life threatening. Something to keep in mind next time frost is on the cards!

Related Articles:

- Hurricane 1775
- Frosts 1776
- Bangladesh 1970
- Great White Hurricane 1888
- Galveston 1900
- Tornadoes 1974