This Date in Weather History

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In late February 2007 arctic cold had most of the western half of nation in its’ grip, at the same time warm and humid weather covered the eastern states. It was a classic set up of a clash of air masses, that usually results in a violent weather outcome. By the early morning of March 1st a powerful storm was organizing in the southern Rockies. That system would take a track across New Mexico and Oklahoma and then head toward the Ohio Valley. Snow began to fly in the central Rockies and then it headed out into the plans states. That strong storm brought blizzard conditions to Nebraska. Omaha had a foot a snow with 58 mph winds that reduced visibility to less than half a mile. Snowfall extended north and east with a foot and a half of the white stuff in parts of Iowa and a foot or more from Minnesota and South Dakota all the way to Michigan. Further south, where warm air held sway, severe thunderstorms brought hail and deadly tornadoes. Fifteen people were killed when a tornado hit Enterprise High School in Alabama, and two were killed when a tornado hit Americus, Georgia.

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Mild weather had been the rule across the Pacific Northwest for most of the winter of 1994. In fact, when the winter was over it turned out to be the 10th warmest winter in more than 100 years. But in the later days of February an artic airmass that had been building across the Yukon began to slide southward. By the morning of February 28, 1994 it has settled in over Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Record cold gripped the region. Burns Oregon recorded a low temperature of 22 below zero smashing the old record of 2 above. In Pocatello, Idaho the mercury reached 17 below, another record. The cold lingered on for a few more days – but that was to be the last bitter cold of the warm winter of 1994.

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For folks suffering in the throes of a harsh winter thoughts often turn to warmer climates and the dream of laying out on the beaches of Hawaii. In fact, the normal high temperature on February 27 is close to 80 in Honolulu. But there are high mountains on the Hawaiian Islands, 3 volcanic peaks extend well above 9,000 and because temperatures can drop as much as 5 ½ degrees for every 1000 feet of elevation that’s a difference from the ground at sea level to that 9,000-foot elevation of about 50 degrees. So that normal 80 for a high temperature can be 30 or even colder. When storms strike in the rainy, winter season from December to February, snow and ice can accumulate on the mountains and even though the snow doesn’t stay around too long it can certainly keep those peaks white. In fact, some adventurous Hawaiians even try their hand at skiing. Such a winter event occurred of February 27, 1997, when several inches of snow fell on the highest summits.

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The winter of 1645 had been relatively mild across New England. Population growth of European settlers in the region had been slow with only 3,000 living in the area in 1630. But by 1640 14,000 lived in the region and mild winter had encouraged more to come from England and other European lands and by 1645 close to 20,000 where spreading through the area. By February 26 some thought they might get through the winter with no real harsh weather. But it was not to be. A storm churning up the Atlantic seaboard dumped several feet of snow across the region on February 26, 1645. With little to help clean up the snow or for that matter pack down the snow, so sleighs and sleds could glide over the snow, it was reported that travel was virtually impossible for 3 weeks. Courts and public meetings where suspended to almost the end of March. That winter storm or other harsh winters did nothing to deter more settlers and by 1680 almost 70,000 Europeans or their descendants occupied New England.

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From the morning of February 25, 1961 until the next day sheets of rain pounded the Montreal area, at the same time cold air hugged the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere, and the result was one of the worst ice storms in history to strike North America. With temperatures in the 20s and winds gusting between 50 and 70mph through the day the rain was pushed into every nook and cranky of the city and suburbs, causing ice to form everywhere that got wet. Ice accumulated as much as 2 ½ inches thick on wires. Power and communication lines snapped and, in many areas, it took more than a week to restore power. Many homes had no heat for more than a week. Water lines were impacted as well and many suburban areas were unable to get water because of the lack of power and because of lack of heat pipes burst – just as they did in Texas last year. Government authorities set up shelters in area schools to house thousands of people who had no heat, no water and no communication.

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In February 1969 arctic cold had been holding New England in its grip for most of the month and a series of storms had brought snow all across the region. In some places 1-3 feet of snow had already been reported in the first 3 and a half weeks of the month. It was only the beginning. On February 24, 1969 at 1:35am snow began in Boston. The snow continued, almost without let up for 5 days. By the time the snow ended just after noontime on February 28, 26.3” was measured at Boston’s Logan airport right along the water. But much heavier amounts were recorded just inland from Boston, in places like Roxbury to Malden and also Lexington and Concord of Revolutionary war fame, the storm brought 40-50” of the white stuff. 77” was recorded at Pinkham Notch in New Hampshire, bringing the February snowfall total there to 130” and the total snow depth to 164”. It took New Englanders the better part of the next week to dig out from the great 5-day snowstorm.

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On February 23, 1802 a great snowstorm raged across New England, by nightfall when the snow stopped flying, drifts in places near Boston piled up to 4 feet high. In those early days of the republic how did people get around in cities? How were the streets cleaned? According to Marketplace.org; before the mid-1800s, there wasn’t really any effort to get snow off roads. Before 1862, people didn’t use snow plows, they used snow rollers. The way people travelled through snow was by attaching skis to their horse-drawn carts and carriages. Snow rollers were huge, horse-drawn wheels that would flatten out the snow, making it easier for the carts with skis to move on the winter roads. But by the mid-19th century, as cities were rapidly growing in population, city streets needed to be entirely clear of snow for the business of the city to continue. And with this, came snow plows, first used by the city of Milwaukee in 1862. Early snow plows were horse-drawn, and would deposit the compacted snow in huge piles on the city’s streets and sidewalks. Not all cities used plows though. Some just used shovels. In New York, clearing the snow was the responsibility of the Police Department and officers would have to shovel. On February 23, 1802 in Boston, people where then left to fend for themselves in dealing with a massive snowstorm and it took more than a week to literally dig out.

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