The Year Without a Summer

The year 1816 was the year Vermont did not have a summer. The weather was unpredictable; temperatures would drop 40 degrees in an hour to a freezing point.

Many areas worldwide experienced a disastrous summer in 1816. Actually some parts of the world felt the effects for about three years. Being a Vermonter my interest is based on how it affected people’s lives there.

Scientist today believe this extreme weather was the result of the Mount Tambora volcano eruption which is located on Sumbawa Island in the East Indies. It was the the largest eruption recorded in history.

The ash from the volcano was felt worldwide and lowered global temperatures.The ash was dispersed throughout the atmosphere, covered the sun causing the lowered temperatures. This affected the well-being of people, animals, and the harvest.

Many people thought the freezing temperatures the summer of 1816 had something to do with a glacier floating in the Atlantic Ocean. Another theory was Benjamin Franklin’s experiment with the lightning rod. Many people believed it was the wrath of God.

Scientist now believe that year without a summer was the results of Mount Tambora erupting. It was a hundred times the eruption of Mt Saint Helen.

The first frost hit Vermont on May 12th, strong winds and freezing temperatures came down from Canada. Along with it came torrential rains and severe thunderstorms.