Blizzards

I watched television cameras track Blizzard Juno as it dropped 30 inches of snow on the north eastern corner of the United States. Comfortably ensconced in front of the TV, I listened to the minute by minute descriptions of falling snow and increasing gale force winds.

Over the years, I often heard family members talking about storms and blizzards; telling their experiences and describing snow drifts piled high next to fences on country roads. One of my uncles had a snapshot photo of himself and several men standing near a 20 foot high snow drift.

Some years ago, I had read about the tragic School House Blizzard, and researched it again. Here is a summary of the Wikipedia details about the fast moving storm:

Before the blizzard hit, there had been severe cold and powdery snow, but a brief warming spell allowed people to leave the safety of homes to do farm chores or go to town and just enjoy the warmth of the day. Children went to their one room schools.

The suddenness of the blizzard took people unawares. In the early morning hours of January 12th 1888, a massive Arctic cold front moved from Alberta, Canada to Montana, to Colorado, to Nebraska, and to Wisconsin. It traveled from Canada at 7:00 am in the morning, swept through the Dakota Territory mid-morning, Lincoln, Nebraska at 3:00 pm and Wisconsin at 11 pm that same day. The temperature of the fast moving front dropped from above zero in Canada to minus 20 degrees. Strong winds and powdery snow reduced visibility to zero.

The teacher at the one room school house in Plain View, Nebraska ran out of fuel. She and two nine year old boys, and a 6 year old girl got lost trying to reach home. The boys and girl froze to death. The teacher was found but had her frostbitten feet amputated

At Holt County, Nebraska, the teacher, 19 years old, got lost and sheltered in a hay stack. Rescued 78 hours later, she died during surgery amputating her frozen legs and feet.

In Mira Valley, Nebraska, a teacher led 13 children, tied together by rope, a half mile from the school to her home and safety.

235 people died, most of them children.

The Great Blizzard of 1888, one of the worst in U.S. history, happened later in the same year as the School House Blizzard. Wikipedia details the following about the Great Blizzard of 1888:

Occurring in the Eastern United States and Canada, it dropped 40-50 inches of snow and had sustained winds of 45mph. There were snow drifts in excess if 50 feet. Railroads shut down, and people were confined to homes for over a week. The snow started in October 1880 and followed throughout winter into March of 1888. Snow fell so deep, 2 story houses had snow up to the 2nd floor windows.

No one was prepared for such deep snow so early in the season before crops were harvested, or milled, and fuel supplies for winter in place.

Train service was suspended and railroads hired men to dig out the tracks but falling snow covered them so quickly the work was useless. Farmers had to dig tunnels through massive snow drifts in order to feed live stock.

The deadliest blizzard in recorded history is the 1972 Iran Blizzard. 4,000 people died. 26 feet of snow fell continuously for a week. 200 villages were completely buried in snow.



A train stuck in snow
Minnesota, March 29, 1881