Weather History Archive

Weather History - February 3rd

Local and Regional Events:

February 3, 1997:

A winter storm dropped from 6 to 15 inches of snow across central and northeast South Dakota and west-central Minnesota, deepening the already expansive snowpack. The wind came up from the north at 20 to 30 mph during the morning of the 4th, causing blowing and drifting snow blocking some roads, and making travel hazardous if not impossible. Several vehicles got stuck or went off the road. Due to the massive snowfall, a roof collapsed in Aberdeen, damaging a car. Many schools started late or were canceled, adding to the number of days missed for the season. Some snowfall amounts included 5 inches at Wheaton, 6 inches at Britton, Summit, Webster, Browns Valley, Artichoke Lake, and Ortonville, 7 inches at Aberdeen, 6 SE McIntosh, Pollock, Timber Lake, 8 inches at Leola, Ipswich, Eagle Butte, and Gettysburg, 9 inches at Miller and Mellette, 10 inches at Mobridge, Watertown, Clear Lake, Pierre, Kennebec, and Onida, and 11 inches at Clark and Blunt. Snowfall amounts of a foot or more included 12 inches at Highmore, Bryant, and Gann Valley, 13 inches at Faulkton, 14 inches at 23 N Highmore and Murdo, and 15 inches at 1 SE Stephan. 

U.S.A and Global Events for February 3rd:

1844: Boston Harbor was so thick with ice on this date that a channel had to be cut through the ice for the "Britannia" ship to leave with 30,000 letters for England.

The print above is from the Boston Public Library. "This print, representing the B & N. A Royal Mail steamship Britannia, John Hewitt, commander, leaving her dock at East Boston on the 3d of February 1844 on her voyage to Liverpool, is respectfully dedicated by the publishers to the merchants of Boston who projected and paid for a canal cut in the ice 7 miles long and 100 feet wide. Much credit is due to the committee and to the contractors Messrs. Gage, Hettinger & Co., and John Hill for their perseverance in accomplishing so arduous an undertaking."

1947: The record-low temperature for continental North America was recorded in Snag in the Yukon Territory, Canada. The temperature was 81.4 degrees below zero. Click HERE for more information from the World Meteorological Organization Global Weather & Climate Extremes Archive.

1959: At 12:55 am Central Time, a plane took off from runway 17 at the Mason City, Iowa airport, carrying the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. At the time of departure, the weather was reported as light snow, a ceiling of 3,000 feet with sky obscured, visibility 6 miles, and winds from 20 to 30 mph. At around 9:35 am, Hubert Jerry Dwyer spotted the wreckage less than 6 miles northwest of the airport. The three musicians and the pilot died from this crash.

1988: Arctic air continued to invade the central U.S. The temperature at Midland, Texas, plunged from a record high of 80 degrees to 37 degrees in just three hours. Morning lows in the higher elevations of Wyoming were as cold as 38 degrees below zero. Heavy snow blanketed southwestern Colorado, with 16 inches reported at Steamboat Springs. 

Click HERE for more This Day in Weather History from the Southeast Regional Climate Center.