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The Jefferson Weather & Climate Records--Natural & Seasonal Cycles

Abstract: 
This digital resource is a historical documentary edition. At its core are transcribed texts of handwritten documents, supplemented by contextual and explanatory apparatus. The edition draws on two categories of documents from Thomas Jefferson’s papers. The main body of the content consists of the record of daily meteorological observations he maintained, with gaps, from July 1776 to June 1826. In this period Jefferson noted weather conditions at 99 locations, including his home in Virginia, Monticello; Paris, France; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C. Depending on period and location, the records at times include, in addition to the temperature and general weather conditions, details on barometric pressure, air moisture, wind direction and force, and amounts of rainfall or snow. Jefferson occasionally also noted information relating to ecology and seasons, such as the appearance of certain bird species in the spring or the first availability of produce such as peas and strawberries.
Access
Access: 
Freely available
Time period
Start year: 
1776
End year: 
1826
Taxonomy
Groups: 
Flowering Plants
Birds
Amphibians
Phenophases
Phenophases: 
Reproduction
Migration
Life stage transition
Vegetative development
Creator
First name: 
Ellen
Last name: 
Denny
Affiliation: 
USA National Phenology Network
Email: 
ellen@usanpn.org
Contact
Same as creator: 
0
First name: 
James P.
Last name: 
McClure
Affiliation: 
Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Princeton University
Email: 
mcclur@princeton.edu
Recommended Citation
Recommended Citation: 
The Jefferson Weather & Climate Records, 2020. https://jefferson-weather-records.org
Published: 
1