Great Blizzard of 1899


The Great Blizzard of 1899 also known as the Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899 and the St. Valentine's Day Blizzard, was a very severe winter weather event that affected most of the United States, especially east of the Rocky Mountains. On February 11, Swift Current in present-day Saskatchewan reported a record-high barometric pressure of.

Arctic cold

For the 1895–2017 period of record:
The following low temperatures occurred during the last ten days of January and the first three weeks of February. The climate regions are defined by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Northeast

For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northeast climate region:
16th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Ninth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
28th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Eighth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
25th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
33rd-coldest February, 1895–2017.
11th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
25th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
12th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
14th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
37th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northern Rockies and Plains climate region:
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northwest climate region:
19th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
14th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
11th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Ohio Valley climate region:
Sixth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Seventh-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Third-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Coldest February, 1895–2017.
Tenth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Eighth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the South climate region:
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Third-coldest February, 1895–2018.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Southeast climate region:
Fifth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
51st-coldest February, 1895–2017.
22nd-coldest February, 1895–2017.
12th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
20th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Sixth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Southwest climate region:
37th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Ninth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
26th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Upper Midwest climate region:
Third-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fifth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fifth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the West climate region:
47th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
52nd-coldest February, 1895–2017.
On February 12, snow flurries were reported in some areas from New Orleans eastward to Fort Myers and Tampa. The storm crossed the Florida peninsula and intensified as it moved rapidly up the east coast. High Point, North Carolina recorded of snow. Washington, D. C. recorded a single-day snowfall of, which was a record for the time.
On February 19, ice floes were reported to be moving out of the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. On February 14, New Orleans dropped to, an all-time record. The previous day, the city experienced its coldest-ever Mardi Gras low temperature of. The Rex parade was delayed while snow was removed from the route.
The low temperature in Miami, Florida on February 14 dropped to with a high of only 48 F. The city has only recorded a lower temperature twice since record-keeping commenced on September 6, 1895.

Casualties, damages, and inconveniences

The Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899 had disastrous impact across many areas of the continental U.S. and Cuba as people, livestock, and wildlife succumbed to the frigid cold.
U.S. bird populations were decimated across the nation. Henderson County, Tennessee saw nearly the complete extinction of its bluebird population and Culpeper County, as well as most northern and central Virginia counties lost nearly all of its quail, having to import new birds in the late teens and 1920s to repopulate the areas. Pine Warblers were also especially decimated.
Some of the bird species affected:
It has been estimated that over 100 people died. In Brooklyn, 31 year-old Mary Goodwin was frozen to death and a thinly clad, unidentified woman in The Dalles, Oregon was found frozen to death in a hallway in an attempt to find warmth. Mail carriers Palmer and Hawkins of New York were thought to have drowned attempting to deliver the mail. It is believed that their boat, overturned by the high winds, was crushed by the floating ice.
Crops were ruined, and orchards were utterly destroyed in Georgia. Walla Walla, Washington's majority of wheat was frozen out, with Eureka flat seeing the most damage.
Traffic was brought to a complete standstill in all parts of the country. Barges on the Mississippi river, which was in some parts entirely frozen through, and the Great Lakes were brought to a complete standstill by ice. Traffic across all railroads were delayed or paralyzed indefinitely and steamers and liners were likewise delayed.