A few days ago marked the anniversary of the devastating Halifax Explosion in December 1917. Shortly after the disaster, Prime Minister Robert Borden, who represented a Halifax constituency, travelled to the city to survey the damage. At the time, he had been campaigning in Prince Edward Island during the fiercely contested “conscription” election that ultimately returned his Unionist government to power on 19 December.
A Tip for Family History Research
While reviewing Borden’s transcribed diary, I noticed something interesting: like many diarists of his era, he often mentioned the weather — on approximately 40% of the days in 1917. For anyone tracing their family history, consider exploring the diaries of people who lived near your ancestors. These records often include references to significant weather events that affected the area.
Borden’s 1917 Weather Diary
Here’s a month-by-month summary of the weather in Borden’s diary in 1917, with the most significant weather events recorded. It was produced with the aid of NotebookLM. Note how the percent drops in October and November during the election campaign.
January (approx. 35% of entries)
• Temperature of 20 below zero: On January 12, Borden recorded this extreme low temperature in Ottawa.
• “Fairylike” Snowstorm: On January 13, he described a beautiful snowstorm where the flakes looked like “flowers from heaven”.
• Easterly Storm: A storm was noted in the evening of January 21.
February (approx. 46% of entries)
• 24 Below Zero: Before leaving for England, Borden recorded this temperature on February 11.
• Heavy Blizzard and Intense Cold: While travelling to Halifax on February 13, the train was delayed six hours due to these severe conditions.
• Fog and Penetrating Cold: Upon arrival in Liverpool on February 21, the weather was wet and cold with heavy fog.
March (approx. 16% of entries)
• Snow in London: On March 5, Borden noted the ground was covered with snow.
• “Canadian Weather”: On March 8, he described the snow and conditions in England as being very much like Canadian weather.
• Three Inches of Snow: On March 31, a significant snowfall occurred in London, making the streets very sloppy.
April (approx. 30% of entries)
• Snow and Dense Fog: The month began with unpleasant cold, snow, and dense fog on April 1.
• Wretched Weather: On April 6, he noted snow and the “worst known” weather for 40 years.
• Blizzard at Camp: On April 9, Borden inspected the 6th Brigade at Witley Camp during a blizzard.
May (approx. 45% of entries)
• Fog and Sunshine: On May 11, while at sea, he noted a strange combination of fog and bright sunshine.
• Snow on the Coast: On May 13, while returning to Canada, he grieved to see the coastline covered with snow.
• Heavy Windcloud: On May 13, a dark, heavy windcloud on the starboard quarter was observed as the ship approached Quebec.
June (approx. 57% of entries)
• Dreary Rain: On June 10, a wet, unpleasant day left the ground cold and sodden.
• 79 Degrees: On June 13, a very warm day was recorded with the thermometer reaching 79 at 8 P.M..
• Glorious Day: June 24 was described as a glorious day with roses in abundant bud.
July (approx. 61% of entries)
• Heavy Thunderstorm: On July 15, a heavy rain and thunderstorm beat down the roses in his garden.
• 91 Degrees in Shade: On July 23, Borden recorded this intense heat.
• Very Hot and Humid: On July 24, the weather was described as very hot and humid.
August (approx. 29% of entries)
• Most Glorious Summer Day: August 5 was noted for its phenomenal vine growth and beautiful weather.
• Variable Weather: On August 19, the weather was variable with sharp showers.
• Much Cooler: By August 26, the weather had turned much cooler.
September (approx. 53% of entries)
• Freezing Point: On September 6, the temperature dropped nearly to the freezing point.
• 80 Degrees: On September 16, a glorious early autumn day saw temperatures reach 80 degrees.
• Keen North Wind: On September 22, the temperature was 44 degrees with a keen wind while Borden was bathing in the lake.
October (approx. 10% of entries)
• Lovely Soft Air: October 14 was a fine day with lovely air.
• Wet and Cold: The weather turned wet and cold on October 29.
• Bright Frosty Morning: On October 31, the morning was described as bright and frosty.
November (approx. 7% of entries)
• Very Rainy: On November 16, he stayed on his train car in Sydney due to very rainy conditions.
• Very Heavy Storm: On November 17, a storm in Kentville forced the cancellation of a meeting in Berwick.
December (approx. 42% of entries)
• Fierce Blizzard: On December 7, passing through the area devastated by the Halifax explosion, a blizzard was raging.
• Unusually Heavy Snow: On December 12, Ottawa experienced an unusually heavy fall of snow
• 20 Below Zero: On December 30, the thermometer dropped to 20 below zero in Hot Springs.
In reading these, remember that AI can make mistakes, and locations may be confused. Borden knew where he was, but a reader today can he uncertain as some place names occur in multiple locations. Was it Hot Springs, Arkansas, in the last entry? No, the lowest temperature ever recorded there is -11°F. He could have meant 20 degrees below freezing, 12°F. Or was it another Hot Springs? There’s a Warm (Hot) Springs in Virginia where -20°F is the record low temperature.
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This map from 
In 1703, the Great Storm, hit south Wales and England. Hundreds of people and thousands of livestock were drowned in the Somerset Levels. In London, about 2,000 chimney stacks were blown down. At least 1,500 men were lost at sea.
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