On This Day in 1888- The SchoolChildren's Blizzard

An unprecedented and unexpected blizzard whiplashed the northern Plains so hard on this day 133 years ago that it was dubbed the “The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard.”

Waking up on January 12, 1888, there was little to no indication that a blizzard was on the horizon later that day across the northern Plains. The day started off with beautiful, blue skies and temperatures unseasonably warm for January; above freezing in most spots. Later in the day, an Arctic cold front would dive south from Canada into the northern Plains and chill temperatures to a bone-numbing 40 degrees below zero.

There was more to the front than just dangerous cold. A low pressure was developing along the front at the same time the Arctic invasion occurred. Snow broke out from Kansas to the Dakotas and Minnesota, with wind gusts up to 60 mph that created whiteout conditions.

Up to a foot of snow buried the landscape. Just walking outdoors was dangerous and even deadly. An estimated 250 to 500 people trapped in the blizzard died as a result of hypothermia and frostbite. Many of the lives lost from the 1888 blizzard were schoolchildren who never made it home from school.

One main reason for the high death toll in the blizzard was the lack of infrastructure. Buildings in the late 1880s across the Midwest were not able to withstand strong winds. The reason—during this “pioneer boom” the focus was developing homes quickly but without any construction codes in place to ensure they would withstand Mother Nature's wrath. As a result, many roofs and buildings were damaged from the heavy snow and wind.

In addition, the blizzard came as a surprise and right when school was to be let out. As the blizzard suddenly struck, many schools had to send students home as there wasn’t enough food supply for everyone nor an adequate supply of heat to keep children safe. Unfortunately, the decision to let students return home proved to be fatal.

Following “The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard of 1888,” buildings were redesigned to better withstand severe weather and forecasts continued to improve. These two factors limited the potential for future blizzards to be as deadly as the 1888 Blizzard.

Sources: noaa.gov, weather.gov
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Story Image: The SchoolChildren’s Blizzard of 1888 buried the Upper Midwest (Wikimedia Commons).