It's been a strange year weatherwise! However, Troy has experienced a variety of odd ball weather conditions throughout its history.

In 1816, Troy and most of the Northeast didn't have a summer. In May, there was half an inch of ice that killed much of the vegetation. On June 8th ,there was ice and snow falling in Troy reaching 3 inches. On July 5th, there was ice the thickness of windowpane glass. It was known as the "Year Without A Summer,""Poverty Year," and "Eighteen Hundred Froze To Death."

This is what Harper's Bazaar reported:

"Both January and February of 1816 were warm and springlike, so much so that settlers let their fireplaces die. The cold started in March, with each day windy and blustery. Despite the weather, spring crops were planted, with vegetation well under way by April when unusual cold moved in. Snow or sleet fell for 17 different days in May, killing the fruit trees. June saw frost and snow for all but 3 days, it lasted through July. August was worse, with ice coating the fields, vegetation was gone, wildlife had moved to distant lands and panic felled upon the people."

The cause? Three major volcanic eruptions took place between 1812 and 1817. Volcano Soufriere on St. Vincent Island erupted in 1812, followed by Mayon in the Philippines in 1814 and Tarnbora on the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia in 1815.

Tambora had the most dramatic effect. This 13,000-foot volcano blew flame and ash from April 7 to 12, 1815, and blew 37 to 100 cubic miles of dust, ashes, and cinders into the atmosphere, generating a globe-girdling veil of volcanic dust.

Two years later on March 2, 1818,one fourth of Troy was covered by water 18 inches above the norm. Topping that was the flood on March 12, 1832 that was 18 inches higher than the previous one and made its way up to Fifth Avenue as far north as Congress.

On January 4, 1835, Troy experienced one of its coldest days ever. It was 32 degree below zero at sunrise. A month later,eruption of Nicaragua's Mt. Coseguina in February 1835 cooled the world from the effects of its dustveil. Historical climatologists regard 1835 and 1836 as particularly cool years.

A flood in 1857 ripped off a railroad bridge above the State dam and tossed it against the north side of the covered bridge of the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad (present day Green Island bridge location).

On September 6, 1881, the Troy and the Northeast experienced a day that appeared to have no daytime. The sky was dark all day and yellow with a brassy appearance, with virtually no daylight. This may have been the result of a major set of fires in Michigan. Twenty villages burned as forest fires raged on that whole day. The smoke filtered out most of the light and left a brassy tinge on everything downwind for hundreds of miles. Some 500 people were killed.

In February, 1886, the section of Troy from River, First, Second, Third, north to Liberty and Fourth, Fifth Avenue, and beyond Ferry Street was inundated by a flood.

On March 13, 1888, more than 4 feet of snow fell on the area creating the infamous blizzard of 88 and bringing the city to a standstill!

On March 28, 1913, no one could brace for the flood that rose two and half feet above the flood of 1886 - totalling 28 feet above sea level. This flood covered everything from Washington Park, Ferry Street, Fifth Avenue, First Street, Liberty Street and Square, Second, third, fourth and Congress Street, Van Buren Street, and for the first time ever Franklin Square. This was repeated in 1936.

Then there was that little hurricane in 57 or 58, I believe, in which I heroically saved 8 year old Charlotte's (my first girlfriend) baby carriage and her pre-Barbie from becoming astronauts in front of the Taylor Apartments.

Feeling wet about now? Just remember what humorist Kin Hubbard said: "Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. "