To:  Cathy Wurzer, Jim Bickal, Eugene Cha, and Julie Siple
From:  Mark Seeley
Re:  Suggestions for MPR's Morning Edition, Friday, Nov 10, 2000

Topic: Remembering the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940

In 1940, the Weather Bureau had just been transferred from
the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Commerce,
as more emphasis was being placed on forecasting for 
aviation.  District forecast centers still had responsibility
for large geographic areas.  For example, the Chicago office
issued four forecasts per day for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North and South Dakota. 
Early on the morning of November 11th they had issued a 
moderate cold wave warning for Minnesota.  It had been 
drizzling on the 10th with some fog and moderate temperatures
in the 40s F. The low pressure system moving toward Wisconsin
from the southwest (Texas panhandle and Oklahoma) intensified
and winds strengthened.  New barometric low pressure records
were later established at La Crosse (28.72 inches) at Duluth
(28.66 inches), and at the downtown Minneapolis Weather 
Bureau Office a near-record low pressure of 28.93 inches
was reported.  Contrast this with a cold high pressure 
system to the northwest in Canada where the barometric 
reading was 30.7 inches and it is easy to see why the
Armistice Day Blizzard is famous for having such strong
winds, wind which averaged over 25 mph for a 24 hour period,
and gusted to over 60 mph.

Rain turned to sleet and snow in the late morning on the 
11th and worsened to blizzard conditions very rapidly, as
snowfall rates approached 3 to 4 inches per hour.  The air
temperature fell by as much as 40 degrees F over 24 hours
and ice as thick as an inch coated poles and phone lines,
breaking many of them.  Forty-nine Minnesotans perished, 
including many duck hunters.  Thousands of game birds and
a great deal of livestock and poultry were killed as well. 
Losses to the turkey industry alone exceeded 1/2 million 
dollars.  Snow removal and clean up to clear state highways,
as well as county and township roads was estimated to 
exceed 1/2 million dollars as well.  Total snowfall at 
Collegeville was 26.6 inches and snow drifts over 20 feet
were reported in the Willmar area.

This storm and the lethal March 15th blizzard the next spring, 
prompted Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen and Congressman R. 
T. Buckler of Crookston to criticize the Weather Bureau for 
inadequate storm warnings and lack of facilities in the state
to provide 24 hour forecasting operations.  They wrote letters
to Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones asking for support.
Soon thereafter Minnesota had a 24 hour forecast office and
a larger staff. 

Topic:  FROM THE "IT ALL DEPENDS" FILE

The use of the adverb "possibly" depends on the context.  For 
example, when asking your boss about prospects for a raise 
the answer may be, "possibly", used as a three syllable 
"NO"; however, when asking a meteorologist about prospects 
for snow cover at Thanksgiving time, the answer may be,
"possibly", used as a three syllable "YES". (since 1891
snowfalls have occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend
57 percent of the time).

Yes, it has been a cold and wintry November so far, but it 
depends on your frame of reference.  The all-time low 
temperature record for November is -45 degrees F at Pokegama
Dam on November 30, 1896.  Although some very cold readings
have already been reported around the state and some are 
expected again this weekend, none have approached that record!

Topic: Alternative names for Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year, especially in the mid
and high latitudes.  Astronomically, winter is the period when 
the sun is over the opposite hemisphere (between the winter 
solstice, Dec. 22, and the vernal equinox, Mar. 20 for the 
northern hemisphere). In ancient classical Mediterranean 
civilizations it was known as the hibernal season or the stormy 
season.

But countries and cultures around the world often describe or
refer to winter based on observed effects......... 

It is known as the wet season in places with dry summers.

It is the white season where snow covers the landscape.

It is the season of frozen soil, where the ground freezes hard
and deep.

It is the season of fire and smoke for many nomadic tribes whose
only source of warmth is a campfire.

To the Plains Indians of North America it was known as the 
season when the thunder sleeps (lack of thunderstorm activity).

It is the season when King Boreas (the north wind) reigns in 
some European countries.

And perhaps in the more modern context it is the season for 
home videos, or outdoor activities such as skiing or snowmobiling.

MPR listener question: How does the 16.8 inches of snow that
resulted from the Armistice Day blizzard of 1940 rank among the
historically heaviest snowfalls in the Twin Cities?

Answer:  The Armistice Day Blizzard represented the heaviest 
total storm snowfall in the Twin Cities record for over 40 years.
It was broken twice in January of 1982, when 17.4 inches fell 
on the 20th to 21st, and then again when 20 inches fell on the
22nd and 23rd.  This was rather short-lived since in 1991 the
Halloween Blizzard produced a new record storm total snowfall
of 28.4 inches (still the record amount for the Twin Cities).
The Armistice Day Blizzard still holds the record for the most
dense heavy snowfall in the Twin Cities record as the ratio of
snowfall to liquid precipitation was 6:1 (16.8 inches of snow
produced 2.66 inches of water), far more dense than the 10:1
ratio of the Halloween Blizzard (28.4 inches of snow produced
2.83 inches of water). 

Almanac:

Average Twin Cities maximum temperature for today's date is 44 F
(plus or minus 10 degrees standard deviation) and the average 
minimum is 28 F (plus or minus 9 degrees standard deviation).

MSP records for today's date include: highest maximum temperature
of 67 degrees in 1930; lowest maximum temperature of 19 F in 
1986; lowest minimum temperature of degrees 3 degrees F in 1986;
highest minimum temperature of 52 degrees F in 1909; record 
precipitation of 1.36 inches in 1915; and record snowfall of 5.0 
inches in 1896. The coldest windchill conditions occurred in 1913
with a reading of -21 degree F. The last snowfall on this date 
was 1.3 inches in 1991.

Average dew point temperature for today is 26 degrees F.  The 
highest dew point on this date is 51 degrees F, while the lowest 
is -3 degrees F.  

Scanning the state climatic data base: the all-time high for 
today's date is 78 degrees F at Fosston (Polk County) in 1909;
the all-time low is -15 degrees F at Big Falls (Koochiching County)
in 1933. 

Words of the Week:  Snow Garland

This is a very rare and particularly beautiful feature which 
sometimes occurs with snowfalls when the temperature hovers 
near 32 degrees F.  Snow becomes festooned from trees, shrubs,
and even fences.  It takes the form of a rope or garland made
of snow, and may be several feet long and an inch or more in
diameter.  This shape is retained by the surface tension 
provided by the thin films of water bonding individual snow 
crystals and aggregates together.  Temperatures right around
the freezing point are necessary to preserve the crystals 
and the thin films of water which bond them.   Winds must be
calm so that the garlands are undisturbed during accumulation.

Outlook: 

Another snow storm is on the way for the weekend with colder
than normal temperatures and plenty of wind.  Best chances for
snow will be late Saturday through Monday.  Drier for the balance
of next week, but colder temperatures are on the way, perhaps
even some single digit lows.