1940 Armistice Day Blizzard
Oakland Mills Nature Center, Henry County
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Abbey Harkrader of Clayton County Conservation will talk about this tragic event in Iowa's history. Free and open to the public. Preregistration is appreciated, but not necessary. Doors will open at 1:45 pm. Sponsored by QP & P.
From Wikipedia:
“The morning of 11 November 1940 brought with it unseasonably high temperatures. By early afternoon temperatures had warmed into the lower to middle 60s °F (18 °C) over most of the affected region. However, as the day wore on conditions quickly deteriorated. Temperatures dropped sharply, winds picked up, and rain, followed by sleet, and then snow began to fall. An intense low pressure system had tracked from the southern plains northeastward into western Wisconsin, pulling Gulf of Mexico moisture up from the south and pulling down a cold arctic air mass from the north.
“The result was a raging blizzard that would last into the next day. Snowfalls of up to 27 inches.... Transportation and communications were crippled, which exacerbated finding the dead and injured….“A total of 145 deaths were blamed on the storm….”