The Great Arctic outbreak!
123 years ago, a cold wave that would become known as the “Great Arctic Outbreak” took the United States by storm. People across the nation braced for the worst as temperatures plummeted throughout the first two weeks of February 1899. The western third of the country was the first to feel the bitter cold with temperatures dropping as low as 33°F in Los Angeles, California, 9°F in Portland, Oregon, and −9°F in Boise, Idaho, by February 4. And, by February 6, 30°F temperatures and below had made their way across the country and as far south as North Carolina.
The full force of the outbreak wasn’t felt until February 10, when some of the coldest winter weather conditions on record struck the eastern two-thirds of the United States. That day, temperatures across the Midwest and Ohio Valley were below −20°F, and even Washington, DC, recorded a low temperature of −8°F. By February 11, temperatures plummeted even further with Fort Logan, Montana, recording an astonishing low of −61°F. Even Florida couldn’t escape the bitter cold, and temperatures fell to the all-time state record low of −2°F in Tallahassee on February 13. It also brought snow and ice and lots of it. By the time blizzard conditions ceased in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, Cape May, New Jersey, record over 30 inches of snow, as did Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland. On February 17, ice was even witnessed flowing down the Mississippi River, past New Orleans, and into the Gulf of Mexico. And, a one-inch thick layer of ice formed at the mouth of the Mississippi in East and Garden Island Bays in Louisiana.
Here in Grand Rapids starting on February 5th there were 8 days in a row with highs below 20. And starting on the 6th there were 10 nights with lows of zero or colder and of those nights 7 were -10 or colder and there were 5 nights in a row of -21 or better with lows of -21, -21, -23, -24 and -24. The story was the same at Lansing where the coldest night reached -24 on the 11th and at Muskegon it was even colder as they recorded a low of -30 on the 11th and a low of -29 on the 12th Of course it did warm up towards the end of the month and temperatures reached the 50’s in many locations. March was also very cold but it did warm up by April and on April 30th Grand Rapids reached a high of 90.
Slim
Wow rural roads out here in the country by me are complete solid ice even the paved roads. Be careful out there!
Temps in the teens outside our cold and snowy pattern continues….InDY
Light snow is now falling here
Slim
Look at all of the pretty colors!
https://www.instantweathermaps.com/GFS-php/conussfc.php?run=2022021206&time=PER&var=ASNOWI&hour=384
Absolutely great winter temps for the next 3 or 4 days! Get outside and enjoy winter! I am heading up to Boyne country this morning! Who wouldn’t want cold and snow this time of year!
With the snow that fell yesterday Grand Rapids is now at 11.2″ for February and for the season GRR is now at 56.8″ that is still -1.5″ for where GR should be by this time of the winter season. Muskegon is now at 40.9″ and that is still a whopping -25.8″ below where they should be for this date. At Lansing they are now at 39.3″ for the season but they are now at +4.4″ for the season. There was just0.2″ of new snow here overnight but with the snow melt and the slush from yesterday there is a lot… Read more »
Great News!! The snowstorm for next week is still on track, despite the constant warm weather hype! Keep this great winter weather rocking and rolling for many more weeks!
The Polar Vortex before there was a Polar Vortex.
That is a monster arctic outbreak! Even too cold for me!