Congratulations!!
On March 11, in the year 1888, New York City was warm -- like an early spring. Grass was growing, and trees were sprouting leaves. But that evening, it began to rain, and the rain turned to snow just after midnight on today's date, March 12, 1888. People started out to work that morning -- but relatively few got where they were going before being way-laid by blowing snow. Some lost their lives in what came to be known as the Blizzard of 1888. Later, many parents named their babies "Snowflake," "Snowdrift," and "Storm" in memory of the event.
In early March 1888, a great
blizzard really did strike New York City. It dumped four to five
feet of snow on the city. Anna, with her grandfather, is on her
way to school to be in the spelling bee. Soon they are stranded
on a train by the storm and must await rescue by the fire
department.
Subject: OBS NYC 3/14/1888
Wed. March 14, 1888 NYC (LST) SNE0340B0625E0715B1040E1450 total day's fall.........1.4" storm total.............20.9"
observations, NYC, 3/14/1888 LST temperature wind 0700.......23F............NW-14 mph 1500.......39F.............N-13 mph 2200........34F............NW-12 mph
Three times a day, 154 stations sent telegraphed reports to Washington headquarters. After analyzing the data, Washington then sent to each station a report on how weather might affect its region. On Saturday morning, March 10, 1888, New York had learned that an enormous area of low pressure (a trough) extending from Canada to the Gulf coast, was headed eastward at a good speed. Two storm systems were located near Green Bay, WI, and St. Louis, MO. A midday report said that the St. Louis storm had moved to the southeast, spreading heavy rain to GA and FL, and that rain or snow was falling all the way north to Michigan. The evening report said that the Wisconsin low had phased out, and the southern one was now heading in a direction that would take it out to sea near Cape Hatteras. For tomorrow, Sunday, March 11, for Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, eastern New York, eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, fresh to brisk southeasterly winds, slightly warmer, fair weather, followed by rain.
At midnight Sunday night, the world came to an end on the mid-Atlantic coast. At the mouth of Delaware Bay, at Lewes, the gusty southeast wind and rain was suddenly replaced by a hurricane-like north wind , and then northwest, with 35 ships in the breakwater, crashing into each other, sinking, calls for help, a terrifying scene of heaving, listing ships. Anchor chains broke, masts snapped, and steamships and schooners and tugs smashed into one another and began sinking. At the same time, the torrential rain in NYC changed to hail, sleet and snow with the wind beginning to cause structural damage. The next three days saw four feet of snow in the northeast accompanied by hurricane force winds. Sergeant Francis Long climbed a 25 ft. pole 172 ft above NYC streets to set a frozen wind guage free on Monday morning, March 12, in order that you may have these records:
Monday, 3/12/1888 NYC Rain changed to snow at 12:10AM. 10" on ground at 7:00AM; 15.5" by 3:00PM; another 1" before midnight. Todays total 16.5". Lowest pressure 29.21" at 10:00AM. Max 34.9F. Min 10.7F. Wind speed 48 mph max, 32.8 mph average; from northwest, then west.
Tuesday, March 13, 1888 NYC SNE0555B1355E1905 (flurries later) time temperature wind 0700......06F............W-37 mph 1500......12F............W-39 mph 2200.......14F............W-30 mph At 7AM, the storm was centered over Narragansett Bay. At 10PM, the storm was near New London and beginning to lose intensity.
1.4" of snow fell on 3/14, bringing the final snowfall total in NYC to 20.9".
Tell students that one of the most
devastating blizzards in American history hit the
northeastern part of the United States on this date. The
storm began during the early hours of Monday, March 12,
1888, and lasted for three days, ending on March 14. A
snowfall of 40-50 inches fell, but the gale-force winds
left drifts as high as 30-40 feet. More than 400 persons
died in the storm, 200 in New York City.
One result of the storm was the placement of telephone
wires underground in New York City and other major
cities. Subways were planned and later built for New York
and Boston. Have students make "Weather-Wise"
posters, featuring messages and drawings to show other
ways people can prepare for storms of any kind.
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