Armistice Day blizzard
The Armistice Day blizzard was a severe winter storm that struck the United States on November 11, 1940, coinciding with Armistice Day. It began in the Texas Panhandle and moved rapidly north-northeast, affecting states like Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Characterized by a sudden drop in temperature from unseasonably warm conditions, the storm transitioned from rain to sleet and then to heavy snow, culminating in blizzard conditions. Wind speeds reached up to eighty miles per hour, creating snowdrifts as deep as twenty feet in some areas.
The blizzard had devastating consequences, crippling transportation systems and complicating rescue efforts for those trapped. Many victims were duck hunters who had been caught off-guard by the warm weather and were inadequately prepared for the sudden change. Tragically, some hunters sought refuge on small islands in the Mississippi River, only to succumb to freezing conditions and high waves. Additionally, maritime tragedies occurred on Lake Michigan, resulting in the sinking of three freighters and numerous fatalities. The storm stands as a stark reminder of the power of nature and the importance of weather preparedness.
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Armistice Day blizzard
The Event Severe winter storm in the central United States
Date November 11-12, 1940
Places Kansas to upper Michigan
One of the deadliest storms the Midwest had ever seen, the blizzard claimed the lives of 154 people nationwide.
The Armistice Day blizzard intensified over the Texas Panhandle on November 10, 1940, then raced north-northeastward through the middle of the United States from Kansas on November 11, Armistice Day, to Wisconsin and upper Michigan, leaving as much as twenty-seven inches of wind-whipped snow in Collegeville, Minnesota (near St. Cloud), before it crossed the Great Lakes into Canada. As is often the case with major midwestern blizzards, the storm was preceded by unusual warmth, with temperatures reaching 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 to 18 degrees Celsius). The storm began with rain in most areas, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures, then sleet and rising winds, followed by heavy snow. Winds reached eighty miles per hour in some areas, piling snow into drifts as deep as twenty feet.
Impact
The combination of wind and heavy snow crippled transportation systems and impeded the rescue of many stranded people, increasing the death toll. Several of the dead were duck hunters who had been lured into the woods by the warmth that preceded the storm. Weather forecasters had not anticipated the severity of the storm, so many of the hunters did not have adequate clothing or supplies. Hunters who took refuge on small islands in the Mississippi River were inundated by five-foot waves driven by the storm’s winds and froze to death in the cold snap. On Lake Michigan, sixty-six men died when three freighters, the SS Anna C. Minch, the SS Novadoc, and the SS William B. Davock (and two smaller boats), sank in high seas.
Bibliography
Seely, Mark. Remembering the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940. St. Paul: Minnesota Climatology Office, 2000.
Significant Minnesota Weather Events of the Twentieth Century. St. Paul: Minnesota Climatology Office, 1999.