Volume 13 , Issue 5

Duchess & Sadie's Snowy Domain

[This is a view of Vallecito Lake looking South South East, or something like that.] -- The last day of January 2011 brought a cold front and some fresh snow to our area here in Southwest Colorado Rockies. It started snowing earlier this Monday morning with a light dusting of new snow covering the old, with intermittent snow and sunshine breaks during the morning into the afternoon. By mid-afternoon the snowflakes got bigger and the falling snow blocked the view of the mountain peaks.

Nothing blew in like the Nor'easters that has been bombarding the East Coast the last few days, though. Sounds like the Midwest is expecting some snow/ice/sleet storms in the next 24/36 hours, starting in Oklahoma City tonight and moving Northeast towards Chicago and other midwest areas.

Have you ever heard of the "Great Blizzard of 1888" or "Great Blizzard of '88" (March 11 - March 14, 1888)? NW Okie's Grandmother (Constance Estella Warwick McGill) would have been six years of age back then and living in the Monterey, Virginia area.

The Great Blizzard of '88 was reported as one of the most severe blizzards in the United States. Snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, sustaining winds of over 45 miles per hour that produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet. Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their houses for up to a week.

The weather that year preceding the blizzard was unseasonably mild with heavy rains that turned to snow as temperatures dropped rapidly. The storm began shortly after midnight on March 12, and continued unabated for a full day and a half. Most of northern Vermont received from 20 to 30 inches in this storm, while the Nor'easter dumped 50 inches in Connecticut and Massachusetts; while dumping 40 inches in New Jersey and New York.

Drifts were reported to average 30-40 feet, over the tops of houses from New York to New England. There were reports of drifts covering 3-story houses. The highest drift of 52 feet was recorded in Gravesend, New York. The storm also produced severe winds; 80 miles per hour wind gusts were reported. The storm was referred to as the Great White Hurricane, that paralyzed the East Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine, as well as the Atlantic provinces of Canada.

It was shortly afterwards that New York began placing it telegraph and telephone infrastructure underground to prevent their destruction. Back to the future, though! Hope you keep warm this Winter and help those homeless found shelter and warmth during the Winter!

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