Weather History

This Day In Weather History

This was definitely a contender for "The Storm Of The Century" when, in 1975, "The Great Storm of 1975" struck most of the U.S. over a 4-day period from the 9th to the 12th. While the Upper Midwest was being overwhelmed by a severe blizzard, an outbreak of 45 tornadoes tore through the Deep South. Hardest hit by the severe blizzard were South Dakota and Minnesota, where many areas were buried by 2 to 2.5 feet of snow. The heavy snow teamed with 30 to 50 mph winds and 70 to 90 MPH GUSTS to produce drifts around 20 FEET and wind chills that plunged to 80 BELOW ZERO. In and near Sioux Falls, visibilities were below one quarter mile for 24 HOURS and a 2,000-foot radio tower collapsed. In Willmar, Minnesota, 168 people were stranded in a passenger train. In all, 58 people died.

Of the 45 tornadoes that the massive storm produced, 37 struck on the 10th. The most violent was an F4 that raced 47 miles across extreme Southern Mississippi. The tornado averaged 200 yards wide, killed 9, and injured 210. In all, the 37 tornadoes that struck on the 10th set a record for any day in January to that time and accounted for 11 of the 12 fatalities during the outbreak. The tornadoes caused $43 million damage.
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