I think you will find this article fascinating!
Year Without a Summer, 1816
On April 5th 1815, a massive volcanic explosion occurred, causing global climate changes for more than a year after the event. Mount Tambora, located on the island of Sumbawa in southern Indonesia, violently erupted, and instantly killed about 15,000 people. Another 65,000 people died soon after of disease or starvation. Many tons of ash and debris were thrown up into the stratosphere, which blocked sunlight and slowly lowered the temperature globally. 1816 became known as The Year Without a Summer in the Northeast.
On June 6th and 7th 1816, a significant snowstorm hit northern New York and New England, with several localities recording 6 inches of snow. It is believed that on June 7th snow flurries occurred in Boston, which is likely the latest seasonal instance of snowfall in Boston history. In July and August, the unprecedented cold weather pattern continued, with temperatures dropping to 40 degrees Fahrenheit on certain days as far south as Connecticut. The average temperature reduction for the entire summer was about 3-5 degrees.
The impact of the Mount Tambora explosion was far reaching. In New England alone, the event caused a large drop in crop yields for 1816, and has been attributed as a cause for the historic migration of many farmers from the Northeast to the Midwest in the 1820s.
It is taken from this page:
www.celebrateboston.co...ambora.htm
I was riveted reading this... wow!