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 an exceptionally severe winter weather event that affected most of the United States, particularly east of the Rocky Mountains. On February 11, Swift Current in present-day Saskatchewan reported a record-high barometric pressure of.

Temperatures and records

For the 1895–2017 period of record:
  • February 1899 was the second-coldest February in the contiguous U.S.. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than February 1936.
  • December 1898 through February 1899 was the third-coldest meteorological winter in the contiguous U.S., with the coldest winter occurring in 1978–79 and the second-coldest in 1935–36. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the 1978–79 winter.
  • February 1899 was the coldest February in Kansas, Missouri, and Wyoming.
  • February 1899 was the second-coldest February in Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
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:
  • February 1899 was the 18th-coldest February. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest February of 1934.
  • December 1898 through February 1899 was the 24th-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1917–18.

    [Connecticut]

Equal 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.
Eleventh-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Atlantic City:
  • Cape May:
  • Trenton:

    New York">New York (state)">New York

Equal 25th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Twelfth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Erie:
  • Hamburg: tied for all-time record for February
  • Harrisburg: all-time record for February
  • Philadelphia:
  • Pittsburgh: all-time record for February
  • Scranton:
  • State College: all-time record
  • Temperatures not available: Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Reading

    [Rhode Island]

Fourteenth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Kingston:
  • Providence: not available

    [Vermont]

37th-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Burlington:
  • Montpelier: not available
  • Northfield:

    Northern Rockies and Plains

For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northern Rockies and Plains climate region:
  • February 1899 was the second-coldest February, behind only 1936. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than February 1936.
  • December 1898 through February 1899 was the eighth-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1978–79.

    [Montana]

Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • : second-coldest ever
  • Big Timber:
  • Billings : all-time record
  • Butte:
  • Chinook:
  • Ekalaka:
  • Fort Keogh:
  • Fort Logan: all-time record
  • Glasgow:
  • Great Falls:
  • Havre:
  • Helena:
  • Kalispell:
  • Miles City:
  • Missoula:
  • Temperatures not available: Anaconda, Bozeman

    Nebraska

Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Alliance:
  • Bridgeport: all-time record for Nebraska, which Oshkosh tied on December 22, 1989
  • Culbertson: all-time record
  • Hay Springs: all-time record as of July 31, 2012
  • Imperial: all-time record
  • Kimball: all-time record for February
  • Lincoln: tied for all-time record for February
  • Lodgepole: tied with February 8, 1936, for all-time record
  • North Platte: tied with January 15, 1888, for all-time record
  • Omaha: all-time record for February
  • Scottsbluff: all-time record
  • Springview: tied for all-time record for February
  • Valentine: all-time record for February

    North Dakota

Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Ashley: tied with February 1, 1893, and February 2, 1905, for second-lowest ever
  • Bismarck:
  • Bottineau:
  • Dickinson:
  • Fargo:
  • Grand Forks:
  • Jamestown:
  • Minnewaukan: all-time record
  • Minot:
  • Mohall: tied with March 14, 1897, and February 9, 1900, for all-time record
  • Williston:
  • Temperatures not available: Mandan, West Fargo

    South Dakota

Second-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Aberdeen:
  • Alexandria: tied with February 2, 1905, and January 13, 1916, for second-lowest ever and tied for all-time record for February
  • Bowdle: all-time record as of April 30, 1944
  • Brookings: tied with January 12, 1912, for all-time record
  • Camp Crook:
  • De Smet: second-lowest ever and all-time record for February
  • Flandreau: all-time record for February
  • Forestburg: all-time record
  • Highmore:
  • Hot Springs: tied with January 11, 1909, for all-time record
  • Howard: tied with February 2, 1917, for all-time record for February
  • Huron: all-time record for February
  • Kennebec: all-time record
  • : tied with January 12, 1912, for all-time record
  • Mitchell: tied with February 2, 1905, for second-lowest ever
  • Oelrichs: all-time record
  • Pierre:
  • Rapid City:
  • Sioux Falls: all-time record
  • Spearfish:
  • Watertown: tied for all-time record for February
  • Wentworth: all-time record
  • Wessington Springs: all-time record
  • Yankton:
  • Temperatures not available: Vermillion

    Wyoming

Coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northwest climate region:
  • February 1899 was the 13th-coldest February. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest February of 1929.
  • December 1898 through February 1899 was the 19th-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1948–49.

    Idaho

Nineteenth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Fourteenth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
Equal eleventh-coldest February, 1895–2017.
For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Ohio Valley climate region:
  • February 1899 was the equal third-coldest February alongside 1905, with the coldest being 1978 and the second-coldest 1895. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than February 1978.
  • December 1898 through February 1899 was the ninth-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was, which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1977–78.

    Illinois

Sixth-coldest February, 1895–2017.
  • Albion: all-time record as of December 31, 2006
  • Aurora:
  • Champaign: tied with February 13, 1905, January 19, 1994, and January 5, 1999, for all-time record
  • Chicago: all-time record for February
  • Elgin:
  • Fairfield: all-time record for February
  • Joliet:
  • Mt. Vernon: tied with February 10, 1982, for all-time record
  • Nashville: tied with December 22, 1989, for all-time record
  • Ottawa: tied for all-time record for February
  • Palestine: all-time record
  • Peoria:
  • Sparta: all-time record as of December 31, 2006
  • Springfield:
  • Temperatures not available: Cicero, Naperville, Rockford, Waukegan