Abstract:
Old newspapers and clippings attest to the fact that the winters of yesteryear were more severe than those of today. The heaviest storm of many years for instance, visited North Carolina in January 1893. Snows closed county offices and men were able to cross the Catawba River on horseback. Severe weather also marked the winter of 1857 where there were 10 days of intense cold and snow, two feet deep in some areas; the snow was so intense that barrels of whiskey froze and burst.