The Armistice Day Blizzard (or the Armistice Day Storm) took place in the
Midwest region of the United States on November 11 (
Armistice Day) and November 12, 1940. The intense early-season "panhandle hook"
winter storm cut a 1,000-mile-wide (1600 km) swath through the middle of the country from
Kansas to
Michigan.[4][5]
Meteorological synopsis
On November 7, 1940, the low pressure system that later developed into the storm was affecting the
Pacific Northwest and produced the 40 mph (64 km/h) winds that destroyed the
Tacoma Narrows Bridge. On November 10 the fast-moving storm crossed the
Rocky Mountains in just two hours on its way to the Midwest.[6][7]
The morning of November 11, 1940, brought with it unseasonably high temperatures in the
Upper Midwest. By early afternoon, temperatures approached 65 °F (18 °C) over most of the affected region. However, as the day wore on conditions quickly deteriorated. Severe weather was reported across much of the Midwest with heavy rain and snow, a tornado, and gale-force winds were all reported.[8] Temperatures dropped sharply,
winds picked up and
rain, followed by
sleet and then
snow, began to fall. An intense
low pressure system tracked from the
southern plains northeastward into western
Wisconsin, pulling
Gulf of Mexico moisture up from the South and pulling down a cold
arcticair mass from the North.
The result was a raging
blizzard that would last into the next day. Snowfalls of up to 27 inches (69 cm), winds of 50 to 80 miles per hour (80 to 130 km/h), 20-foot (6.1 m)
snow drifts, and 50 °F (28 °C) temperature drops were common over parts of the states of
Nebraska,
South Dakota,
Iowa,
Minnesota,
Wisconsin, and
Michigan. In Minnesota, 27 in (69 cm)[9] of snow fell at
Collegeville, and the
Twin Cities recorded 16 in (41 cm).[10] Record low pressures were recorded in
La Crosse, Wisconsin, and
Duluth, Minnesota.[3] Transportation and communications were crippled, which made finding the dead and injured more difficult. The Armistice Day Blizzard ranks #2 in Minnesota's list of the top five weather events of the 20th century.[11]
Survivors describe the cold as so severe that it was difficult to breathe, with the air so moisture laden it was thick like syrup and that the cold seared the survivors lungs like a red-hot blade.[10] Many individuals claim that animals were aware of the upcoming weather shifts which led to animals moving rapidly from the area. Duck hunters who were out at the time were amazed at the amount of ducks that were in the area and on the move through the skies, one survivor recounting there were thousands.[9] Future Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant was caught in this storm.[12]
Casualties
A total of 146 deaths were blamed on the storm, with the following instances being noteworthy:
Along the
Mississippi River several hundred
duck hunters had taken time off from work and school to take advantage of the ideal hunting conditions. Weather forecasters had not predicted the severity of the oncoming storm, and as a result many of the hunters were not dressed for cold weather. When the storm began many hunters took shelter on small islands in the Mississippi River, and the 50 mph (80 km/h) winds and 5-foot (1.5 m) waves overcame their encampments. Some became stranded on the islands and then froze to death as temperatures went below 10 °F (−12 °C) overnight. Others tried to make it to shore and drowned. Duck hunters constituted about half of the 49 deaths in Minnesota. Those who survived told of how ducks came south with the storm by the thousands, and everybody could have shot their daily limit had they not been focused on survival.
Casualties were lessened by the efforts of
Max Conrad, a pioneering light plane pilot and flight school owner and John R. "Bob" Bean (one of the flight school instructors) both based in Winona, Minnesota, 25 miles upriver from La Crosse. They flew up and down the river in the wake of the storm, locating survivors and dropping supplies to them. Both men were nominated for the
Carnegie Medal for their heroism.[10]
One survivor, Gerald Tarras, survived the storm in Minneapolis due to the two family
Labrador retriever dogs who lay beside him and provided body heat to protect him.[9]
In
Watkins, Minnesota, 2 people died when a passenger train and a freight train collided in the blinding snow. Watkins residents formed a human chain to lead the passengers to safety.[13][14]
13 people died in
Illinois, 13 in Wisconsin, and 4 in Michigan.[16]
Additionally, 1.5 million turkeys intended for Thanksgiving dinners across Minnesota perished from exposure to the cold conditions.
Aftermath
Prior to this event, all of the weather forecasts for the region originated in
Chicago. After the failure to provide an accurate forecast for this blizzard, forecasting responsibilities were expanded to include 24-hour coverage and more forecasting offices were created, yielding more accurate local forecasts.[17]
The U.S. Weather Bureau was criticized that it failed to predict the huge blizzard and officials released a statement that they were aware that the storm was coming but wrong about its strength and scope. The
Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) branch of Meteorology was upgraded to issue forecasts and not rely on the Chicago site.[14]
Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940, a podcast by the Minnesota Historical Society on the storm and subsequent changes to the National Weather Service's forecasting practices.