Most of us have seen or at least heard about the movie, Groundhog Day, but I bet seldom people remember or know about the trouble the northern part of our continent faced in 2011. And although Bill Murray was probably all nuzzled warm in his bed that week, many Americans had to face the ordeal that would be known as, The Groundhog’s Day blizzard, or Snowmagedon as many people called it. And it was one for the books, as it not only took out the northern region of the country and parts of Canada, but its reach made its way to some of the southern states as well. Residing in Texas, we don’t see much snow but even we had our fair share of the chaos that the weather brought along with it. However, despite this storm not being the worst blizzard …show more content…
In Chicago alone, within the first few hours there had been enough snow on the ground that caused many accidents and road closures. Early into the night the thunderstorms began, and heavy amounts of snow began to make it impossible for drivers to continue the roads. It was so bad in fact, that the popular Lake Shore Drive highway was abandoned and left with an image that looked like a movie scene. Hundreds of cars abandoned, littered the roads because they were trapped in the snow or ran out of gas waiting for conditions to get better. Firefighters worked tirelessly throughout the night to rescue stranded people who were trapped in their cars. “The snow was falling at the rate of 2 to 3 inches in an hour late Tuesday evening due to the thunderstorms.” The snow fall wasn’t the only issue the storm posed though. Gusting winds, coming in at 60 mph were recorded and knocked over power lines which caused blackouts throughout the city. In Oklahoma, the recorded snow fall was at 32 inches and posed a huge risk to livestock and the Governor, Mary Fallin, even called for a state of emergency due to the freezing rain and amount of snowfall. Places that usually do not see snow such as Houston could see some form of ice and surround states such as Louisiana and Alabama were experiencing some colder than usual weather. Regardless of the path it took, evidence of it was clear as all over the Midwest and northeast …show more content…
“The United States has been walloped by twice as many of the most extreme snowstorms in the past 50 years than in the previous 60 years, according to an upcoming study on extreme weather by leading federal and university climate scientists. This also fits with a dramatic upward trend in extreme winter precipitation — both rain and snow — in the Northeastern U.S. charted by the National Climatic Data Center.” (AP) The theory derives from the idea that a warmer atmosphere will hold and dump more moisture which will result in more snowfall. So, does this mean more snowfall throughout the winter months? Ironically, because of the warmer weather, this means that there will be less normal snow fall but once its cold enough for a snowstorm to manifest the warmer air will actually carry more moisture which could potentially produce blizzards and snowstorms. Another theory is that from Princeton researcher, Sarah Kapnick whose computer models have simulated the climate change in the past 60-100 years due to the rise in carbon dioxide expelled in the atmosphere. And as mentioned before, the blizzard began by combing storm surges from the pacific thus resulting in the theory that winds from El Nino that came from the Pacific Ocean helped push the moisture towards the central part of the country where it manifested into the system that created the conditions for the storm. “Very warm
’[16] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Guterson, David, Snow Falling on Cedars, 1994, pp 367. [2] Ibid. , pp. 107.
Early this February the states surrounding the great lakes in the northeast were pounded by lake-effect snow storms. Some areas saw more than four feet of snow. These states are accustomed to lake-effect snow storms, but it has been some time since they last saw one of this magnitude. Some areas saw up to 140 inches in less than twelve days. The storm was accountable for 35 deaths. (msn.com 2007)
INTRODUCTION The winter season can be a major hassle for some people while others just have to deal with a slight cool down in temperatures. Over the northern portions of the country, people are faced to deal with the harsh conditions that Mother Nature has in store. Some winter seasons are less brutal than others. Besides the typical storm systems that come through the area and drop different types of precipitation whether it is snow, sleet, or freezing rain, there’s another weather event that affects not everyone in the country, but primarily around the Great Lakes.
January 12, 1888, a blizzard covered the northwest part of North America that claimed many lives. This blizzard was considered to be the worst blizzard of all time, and was dubbed the “the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard”, for claiming the lives of so many school children on their way home. The death toll of this murderous blizzard rose, because of lack of preparation and being uninformed. During this time, many farmers and families were unprepared to survive a blizzard of this magnitude, by the lack of clothing they wore. Forecasters were not as accurate enough to inform people on the weather conditions. Also, shelter was a major factor in protecting themselves from the winter storms, but the shelter was not stable
The year 1886 opened with severely cold weather and snowstorms even heavier than the winter of 1880-1881.
Blizzards can affect people’s lives in many different ways. The strong winds and blistering cold temperatures
would snow up to depths of eight inches and sometimes it would rain and hail for
In the book, The Children’s Blizzard, David Laskin wrote the stories of immigrant families from Europe who, after coming to the United States with high hopes, experienced a heartbreaking blizzard in January 1888. The immigrants had staked their future on the land and instead of rewarding them for their commitment, the land brought them heartbreak. The blizzard led to different outcomes for different families, but the outcome largely included loss.
First, Collins uses hyperbole by repeating the word “snow” five times in one sentence: “Chicago’s snowfall was so huge that the news media ran out of things to attach to “snow” - thundersnow! snowpocalypse! snowmageddon!” (Collins). She consecutively uses three portmanteaus of the word "snow" with increasing stress level to create strong feelings. She wants to emphasize that Chicago is experiencing the most massive snowstorm in the United States, one of the consequences of global warming. This is a circumstance that causes people panic. She then reminds the readers about the blizzard of 1979 which made Mayor Michael Bilandic get “kicked out of office six weeks later in the Democratic primary.” It seems that she wants to make a connection between the congressman and a snow job.
On January 12, 1888, the Children’s Blizzard hits part of the Northwest Plains. This blizzard is also known as the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard or Schoolhouse Blizzard (Potter). The name is associated with schoolchildren’s because it was mostly children trying to go back home, that froze to death along their way. It was such a beautiful day, just like one of those days someone would have in April, that no one would have suspected such a bitter snowstorm to come. The blizzard came when a cold, arctic wind from Canada met with the winds that came from the south. Everyone, including the kids, were dressed up with short sleeves. Just like how somebody would wear on a hot, spring day. The air from Canada carried heavy snow and harsh winds along with it, causing the hurricane (Blizzard Brings Tragedy to Northwest Plains). The Children’s Blizzard hit both of South and North Dakota (back then in 1888, it was one territory), Nebraska, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, causing lots of heartbroken and unexpected deaths (McLeod).
Harris, Richard. "Dust Storms Threaten Snow Packs." NPR : National Public Radio. Public Broadcasting Service, 30 May 2006. Web. 26 Feb. 2011.
To begin with, the landing of the snow on the road caused many damages to them. This was because the levels on which the roads were raised were in different proportions. This, therefore, prevented lack of flow to be experienced on the roads. Moreover, the cracks that were observed on the roads came about because of the difference in the temperatures of the country.
White all around, you can’t see a thing and you’re lost not knowing where to go or what to do. People are trapped in freezing temperatures and immobilizing snow during this freezing hurricane. This is what is happening as bomb cyclone Grayson sweeps over the Atlantic Coast of the US and New England. Along with this blizzard comes things such as increased precipitation, extremely low temperatures, and deadly sicknesses.
The year was 1992; a cold December arctic wind had brought a chance of snow to the area. It was the weekend and time to relax after a long hard week at work. The weather service had predicted several inches of snow to blanket the region by the next day. Not to worry: it was the weekend and traveling was not a necessity.
A snow day acts as a dream for me personally, especially during the winter months of school. For me, a snow day is a blessing, principally when my schedule is chaotic and I have no time for myself. Snow days are caused by my uttermost beloved season, winter. I did some research about my most beloved season and this is what it said, “the June 6-8 Gallup Poll finds 36% of Americans naming spring as their favorite season of the year, while 27% prefer fall, 25% summer, and just 11% winter” (“Most Popular Season…”). My understanding was that people had a tremendous fondness of the cold, well I guess not, but, at least I contribute to the eleven percent that appreciates what Jack Frost delivers.