Was Chilly In Vermont This Morning But Nothing Compared To Pre-Climate Change

Don't worry, this was NOT my garden this morning. But,
as forecast, a couple of the coldest hollows probably
had frost this morning. In the past, we've had colder
weather than this in early September. 

 By any measure, it was definitely cooler than average in Vermont his morning. Perennial cold spot Saranac Lake, New York was down to 30 degrees just after 6 a.m. 

As of this 6:30 a.m. writing, I'm not sure whether any frost developed in the Northeast Kingdom, as it's too early to get temperature reports from that area. 

Elsewhere, pretty much every in Vermont started the day in the upper 30s to mid 40s, just as had been forecast. 

At last check around 6 a.m. Burlington was down to 46 degrees, the coolest it's been since June 16. It was 43 degrees at my perch here in St. Albans, Vermont. 

Yes, it's definitely cool for the season, but it's been colder. Burlington's record low for today is 38, so we're not even close. 

Frosts have hit all months of the year in the very coldest hollows of Vermont, and in the Adirondacks. 

Compared to late August and early September cold snaps in the distant past, today was no great shakes.  Cool spells in the current age of climate change are not your grandfather's  chilly spells. 

I have the receipts. 

Examples abound.

According to David Ludlum's Vermont Weather Book:

On August 31, 1965, it got down to a wintery 25 degrees in South Londonderry, 26 in West Burke and 27 in both Northfield and Chelsea. Talk about an early end to the growing season! Burlington got to 35 degrees that day. It was the coldest temperature on record in Burlington, but that record was tied in 1976.

That August 31 brought temperatures to 29 in Northfield, Sutton and Woodstock. 

In the first week of September, 1967, West Burke got into the 30s for six days in a row. Not happening this year. 

In 1963, it was 28 degrees in Chelsea on September 5, and 30 degrees in West Burke on both the fifth and the sixth. 

Those were surely not great tomato growing years in Vermont. 

Any frost in the cold hollows today was a one-off, at least for now.  A warming trend will begin today, It'll still be on the cool side, with highs today within a couple degrees either side of 70. Tonight will be cool, but not as chilly as last night. By Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, highs temperatures will reach the 70s to around 80. 

There also isn't any real sign of a return to hard core summer weather, either, for at least a week or more. Another spell of coolish weather will probably return by next Sunday or Monday, as it looks now.