Armistice Day Blizzard
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| The storm track of the Aristice Day Blizzard | ||
| Storm type: | Cyclonic blizzard, Panhandle Hook | |
| Formed: | November 10th, 1940 | |
| Dissipated: | November 12th, 1940 | |
| Maximum amount1: | 27 inches (Collegeville, MN) | |
| Lowest pressure: | 971 mbar (hPa) (Duluth, MN) <ref>Lowest Pressure USA Today</ref> | |
| Damages: | $2 million (1940) <ref>Propery losses MNSU.edu</ref> <ref>Livestock losses University of Minnesota</ref> | |
| Fatalities: | 154 | |
| Areas affected: | The Upper Midwest | |
|
1Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | ||
The Armistice Day Blizzard (or, the Armistice Day Storm) took place in the midwest United States on November 11 (Armistice Day) and 12 November, 1940. The intense early-season winter storm cut a 1,000-mile-wide path through the middle of the country from Kansas to Michigan.
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[edit] The Storm
The morning of November 11, 1940 brought with it unseasonably warm temperatures. Several hundred duck hunters headed out to take advantage of the weather, many taking off work and school in the process. Weather forecasters had not predicted the severity of the oncoming storm, and as a result many of the hunters who went out that day were not dressed for cold weather. Temperatures by the early afternoon had warmed in lower to middle 60's over most of the region. As the day wore on however, conditions quickly deteriorated. Temperatures dropped sharply, winds picked up, and rain, followed by sleet, and then snow began to fall. An intense low pressure system had tracked from the southern plains noreastward into western Wisconsin, pulling Gulf of Mexico moisture up from the south and pulling down cold artic air from the north.
The result was a ranging blizzard that would last into the next day. Snowfalls of up to 27 inches, winds of 50 to 80 mph, 20 foot snow drifts, and 50 degree temperature drops were common over parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. In Minnesota, 27 inches of snow fell at Collegeville, and the Twin Cities recorded 16 inches. Record low pressures were recorded in La Crosse and Duluth. <ref>Armistice Day Blizzard Facts University of Minnesota</ref> Transportation and communications were crippled, which made finding the dead and injured even more difficult.
[edit] Casualties
A total of 144 deaths were blamed on the storm. In Minnesota, when the storm began many hunters took shelter on small islands in the Mississippi River. By the time they realized the severity of the situation, the 50 mph winds and 5 foot waves were too much to overcome. They became stranded on the islands and then froze to death in the single-digit temperatures that moved in over night. Some that tried to make it to shore drowned. Duck hunters consisted of most of the 49 deaths in Minnesota. In Watkins, Minnesota, 2 people died when two trains collided in the blinding snow. In Lake Michigan, 66 sailors died on three freighters and two smaller boats that sank. 13 people died in Illinois, 13 in Wisconsin, and 4 in Michigan. <ref>November 11, 1940 Milwaukee NWS</ref>
[edit] Aftermath
Prior to this event, all of the weather forecasts for this region originated in Chicago. After the failure to provide an accurate forecast for this blizzard, forecasting responsibilities were expanded to include around the clock coverage. They were also more forecasting offices created, giving forecasters the ability to focus more on just their local region. <ref>NW Storm Rages On Minneapolis Tribune, Nov 12, 1940</ref>
[edit] Trivia
- The Armistice Day Blizzard ranks #2 in Minnesota's list of top 5 weather events of the 20th century. <ref>Armistice Day Blizzard Minnesota climatology office</ref>
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes and references
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