We had a trace of snow overnight. Our current temp is 32° at 5 am.
I have seen some hefty snowfalls in my life, the worse in the 1970s in both Michigan and Maine, however none compare to the following, especially the Iranian blizzard of 1972 which is considered the worst blizzard in recorded human history. Here is the AP article on the first reports of that event:
TEHERAN, Iran, Feb. 10 (AP) —Thousands of Iranian villagers were unaccounted for today after a week‐long blizzard that dumped 10 to 26 feet of snow in outlying areas after four years of drought.
Newspapers put the number of missing at 6,000.
Among them is an American woman college student and two men companions who went mountain climbing near Teheran Monday.
A five‐man team that set out to search for them on Tuesday also has vanished. Officials said the mountain is covered with 39 inches of snow.
Neither the United States Embassy nor Aryamehr University in Teheran would identify the American student.
The storm laid a deep blanket of snow across northwestern, central and southern Iran. The Government began taking precautions for possible heavy flooding that could come with a thaw.
In southern Iran, at least 4,000 villagers from the Ardekan area are reported trapped or buried beneath 26 feet of snow.
Below are other historical blizzards:
Carolean Death March
The 1719 storm occurred during the time of the Great Northern War. In 1718, Sweden had lost a battle to Russia, and hence, its eastern territories went under Russia’s control. The then King of Sweden, Charles XII of Sweden, had planned to attack Norway to compel their king to sign peace treaty negotiations. However, the death of Charles XII, on 11 December 1718, the attempt was unsuccessful, and the Swedish forces in Norway were ordered to retreat back to Sweden. While returning, one night, the army encamped on the northern mountainside of Øyfjellet by the lake of Essand. A violent northwesterly blizzard had struck the mountain. From setting the fire to dwarfing birch, heather, the soldiers did everything possible to keep themselves warm. However, all the efforts went in vain. About 200 soldiers froze to death, the first night. Their horses died, too.
The weather continued to take its toll and the soldiers tried to escape the place. However, another 3,000 men froze to death on the mountain. They continued their voyage down to Duved, but by the time, they could utilize the lodging, they were badly cold-stricken; thus, 700 men died, too. In fact, out of 2,100 total soldiers, only 600 survived which crippled for their life.
Great Blizzard of 1888
It is one of the worst blizzards registered in American history. The storm was named the Great White Hurricane. It pummeled the Atlantic coast of the US from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine, in the year 1888. On one of the days of March, the snowfall began in the evening. By the next morning, the New York city was covered with 10 inches of snow, falling continuously, to blank it up to 22 inches of snow.
In other areas, the lands were blanketed with 40 to 50 inches to snow. The heavy snowstorms began with the winds averaging the speed of 65 km per hour and gusting up to 130 km per hour. The people got stranded in the streets, on trains, at their offices. People in the streets were panicking, looking for the shelter. Around 400 people lost their lives, while more than $20 million property was damaged in the New York City, alone. The survivors commemorated the anniversary of the event until the year 1969.
Credit-Politico
Schoolhouse Blizzard
On 12 January 1888, the blizzard hit the US plains states unexpectedly on a relatively warmer day. The natural calamity is named, “Schoolhouse Blizzard,” because the tragedy devastated many children that were in school when the storm happened. In Groton, Nebraska, as the sky started getting darker in the morning, the teacher prepared their students to return their home. While all the students were carried to their homes by the sleds pulled by horse teams, one student was left behind. As the student decided to strike out on his own, he lost his way. There were farmers on the fields who lost their way and many teachers and students from the different schools, too, got lost.
By the end of the disaster, almost 235 people had lost their lives. Most of the dead people were children. The tragedy occurred majorly because the communication of the weather forecast via radio or television was limited in that era, in the agricultural fields.
Hakko-da Mountains incident
In the modern history of mountain climbing, Hakko-da mountains incident is the world’s largest mountaineering disaster. A group of Imperial soldiers, who decided to secure a route through Hakkōda Mountains, situated in Aomori Prefecture in northern Honshu, Japan. Since Japan was in a potential war with Russia, training in movement during winter conditions was deemed necessary and wintertime crossing of the Hakkōda Mountains was planned. The unit headed towards the mountain on January 23, 1902, at about 6:55 AM. The ultimate destination of the soldiers was Tashiro Hot spring located 20 km away in the Hakkōda Mountains. As the unit reached the summit of Umatateba, the soldiers were hit by a severe blizzard. Out of 210 soldiers, 193 soldiers died. The 11 who survived faced amputations due to serious frostbites.
Armistice Day Blizzard
Armistice Day blizzard could be termed as the blizzard of a lifetime for many. On November 11, 1940, thousands of hunters had gathered to hunt ducks in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Armistice Day. The weather conditions changed from blue skies to a mild rainfall and then to snow. After this, arrived the deadly storm without any warning. Thus, many of the hunters were not dressed for the cold weather. The winds blowing at the rate of 80km/h made the waves of the Mississippi rivers to swell up to 5 meters. As they hit the encampments of the hunters, many drowned. The temperature dropped freeze many other duck hunters. The chilly weather conditions cost the lives of more than 145 people.
Iran Blizzard
In February 1972, a seven-day snowstorm hit the nation of Iran. A week-long period of severe winter storms dumped more than 10-feet of snow across entire Iran. In fact, Southern Iran received as much as 26 feet of snow. It caused deaths to approximately 4,000 people. People were literally buried, and the villages of Kakkan and Sheklab were left with no survivors. Therefore, the blizzard is termed as the deadliest Blizzard ever.
Credit-mprnews.org
1993 North American Storm Complex
It is one of the biggest blizzards ever to rage across the East. A storm engulfed the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. A large cyclonic storm, eventually, dissipated in the North Atlantic Ocean on March 15, 1993. The blizzard led to some of the highest snowfall amounts, including 42.9 inches in Syracuse in New York, 30.9 inches in Beckley in West Virginia, and 25.3 inches in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All in all, the storm stretched from Canada to Honduras. Termed as the “Great Blizzard of 1992,” the storm caused a total of 208 fatalities.
North American blizzard of 1996
Followed by the March Super-storm of 1993, the North American blizzard of 1996 was a severe nor’easter that paralyzed the United State East Coast with up to 4 feet of wind-driven snow. It started on January 6 and lasted for two days, till January 8. Philadelphia was the hardest-hit by this snowstorm. It received its biggest snowfall, measuring to 31 inches. However, Western Virginia registered the amounts of snowfall up to 48 inches. There was a heavy rainfall of more than 3 inches in 24 hours in Pennsylvania. Out of the 67 counties, 10 of the Keystone state’s was reported flooding. Owing to its worst flooding, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania suffered heavy damage of worth US $1billion. Similarly, West Virginia sustained damage to its public buildings and infrastructure, costing up to $24 million.
2008 Chinese winter storms
In the year 2008, China experienced a deadly snow storm. There was a series of winter storm events, starting on 25 January 2008 and lasting till 6 February 2008. A large dome of cold air enveloped most parts of China. It caused precipitation in the form of heavy snow in the regions such as Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui, Shandong, Shanghai. The snowstorm caused massive destruction to the property. Almost 223,000 homes were damaged and 862,000 other buildings collapsed. The storms killed more than 100 people were killed in roof collapses, bus accidents, or from cold – the severe effect of the blizzard.
Credit-The-Guardian-cf
2008 Afghanistan blizzard
In February 2008, a fierce blizzard struck Afghanistan. As the temperatures fell as low as -30 degrees Celsius, with up to 180 centimeters of snow in the more mountainous region. The deadly blizzard killed at least 926 people. More than 100 people suffered from frostbite as they walked barefoot in the freezing mud and snow. With more than 100,000 sheep and goats dying, a total of 315,000 cattle died in the blizzard.
Potential solar storm the next 72 hours. Hopefully the clouds clear out…
I will look on my walk today but there have been reports of dandelions in bloom. That happened last December as well and I have a picture that I took of a dandelion in bloom on Christmas day last year. With Sundays high of 31 that was the first time since February 28th that was 281 days of temperatures of 33 or better and according to Bill Stiffen that is a top ten. At this time it is cloudy and 37 here at my house.
Slim
My wife pointed out dandelions to me the other day. There are actually a lot of them all over our yard, just like last year at this time.
Plenty of significant snow “on the way” this season. Tossing around the term Bluzzard could be considered tempting fate. A true MI Bluzzard would devastate our current generation of “snowflakes”.
We start gaining daylight in the evening after today, and we still have had barely any snow. Not very often that happens. We are now almost a foot, yes a foot below average in the snowfall department. Tough for some to swallow, but hey, I’m sure there might be some in a month or so. Or maybe not.
The total (official) snow fall so far this season at Grand Rapids is just 0.4″ There have only been a few winters when we have gotten this late in the season and have this little total snow fall. In 2012 and 1998 GR did not reach 1′ total snow fall until December 20th. In 1999 it was December 14th At this time it is cloudy and 35 here at my house.
Slim
How did those winters turn out slim? Total snow wise??
1998/99 had 73.7″ with a very snowy January 46.8″. 1999/00 54.5″ of that 7.8″ fell in April. 2012/13 66.0″ of that 33.1″ fell in February.
Slim
Many people have been claiming a big pattern change mid month and yet the CPC until December 21st and beyond still shows lots of warmth!
Great Scotty check out storm track for this weekend the last runs have sure changed looks like some big snows coming for my area Friday night into Saturday now how could that be ???? Prepare now get to the store grab more a storm is coming… Lol..INDY
LOL “the main precipitation type for Saturday into Sunday remains rain… but wet snow is possible at times.” NWS GRR
Everything alright INDY?? This is the first we’ve heard from you since 11-24?
Had Covid19 through our home …3 weeks of being sick no good …Tons better now thank God thanks for caring Andy …I hope all is well with you my friend!! INDY
Oh man, glad everything came out OK with you and your family. Yep, good here, doing our part to try to keep us and everyone else around us healthy and happy!
Nothing to ride home about thats for sure stay healthy my friend maybe get the shovel out this weekend that would be nice for a change instead of this gloomy weather we are having it is December…INDY
Glad to hear that you are feeling better.
Slim