12 — 40

lornajarrettblanchard January 2, 1949

–>100 Ahlbrandt and Sundberg. “Blizzard of ’49 stranded hundreds of travelers.” August 2005.

— >80 Armstrong. “A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Wyoming in 1949…” WY. 12-21-2016.

— 76 Alleman, Roy V. Blizzard 1949.

— 76 Hein. (Appears to include deaths for two months following this blizzard.)

— 76 PBS. Wyoming History. Blizzard of ’49. 57 minute video airing 12-8-2015.[1]

— 40 Blanchard figure.[2]

— 40 NWSWFO, Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard. NOAA. Accessed 7-14-2017.

— 27 AP. “Flood’s Death Toll Increases. Total Now 22.” Beatrice Daily Sun, 5-11-1950, p. 1.

— 11 Army Corps of Engineers and Union Pacific relief and recovery worker deaths.[3]

Colorado ( 7)

–7 Dunn. “The Blizzard of 1949…Earliest Peoples in NoCo.” Forgotten Fort Collins. 1-6-2017.

–7 NWS WFO, Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard. NOAA, NWS. Accessed 7-14-2017.

–6 Peters. “Blizzard stranded hundreds, killed 18…served as reminder.” Weld Co. Past Times.

–4 Rockport area, Weld Co. Phillip and Ione Roman, both 35; children Tony, 11, Peggy, 9.[4]

Nebraska (20)

–20 NWS WFO, Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard. NOAA, NWS. Accessed 7-14-2017.

— 1 Box Butte County, Alliance area. Claude Hannibal, 35; froze after truck stuck in snow.[5]

— 2 “ Alliance area, Feb 2. Civil Air Patrol plane delivering mail to isolated families.[6]

— 1 Scotts Bluff County. Frank C. Hargreves, 58; fatal heart attack shoveling snow at home.[7]

— 1 Sheridan County, Gordon. Mrs. Harriet Brown, 90-100, found frozen to death at home.[8]

— 1 Sioux County, Harrison (9M east of). Harmon Holleman, 44, of Gordon; froze in haystack.[9]

South Dakota ( 1)

— 1 NWS WFO, Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard. NOAA, NWS. Accessed 7-14-2017.

Wyoming (12)

–17 Hagerott, Judy. “The 1949 Blizzard of the Century. SheridanMedia.com, WY, 2-6-2016.[10]

–17 PBS. Wyoming History. Blizzard of ’49. 57 minute video airing 12-8-2015.[11]

–12 Hein, Rebecca. The Notorious Blizzard of 1949. WyoHistory.org. WY State Hist. Society.[12]

–12 NWS WFO, Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard. NOAA, NWS. Accessed 7-14-2017.

–12 Roddam. “The Five Worst Winter Storms…[WY] History.” Kingfm.com, 12-29-2015.[13]

— 9 Wyoming State Tribune, Cheyenne. “New Storm…State Counts Nine Dead.” 1-7-1949, 1.

— 3 Laramie County, Hillsdale (3.5 miles from). Mr. and Mrs. Archuleta, daughter, 5-years.[14]

— 1 Southeast WY. Man left wife/baby in car to search for help; died after falling off drift.[15]

— 1 Location not noted. Storm-related heart-attack; male.[16]

Narrative Information — General

Gaarder: “….It was the winter of 1948-49. From Kansas to the Canadian border, an area nearly the size of France lay buried in snow and ice from blizzards that had begun in November. The region’s economy was teetering on the edge of collapse. Cattle and sheep by the tens of thousands were dying of starvation and exposure. The problem: ceaseless winds and rounds of fresh snow defied efforts to keep roads and rail lines clear.

“Among these storms was one of the worst blizzards on record: on Jan. 2 and 3, 1949. All of Nebraska was suffering, except for the southeast corner of the state. Then-Gov. Val Peterson declared it the worst disaster in the state’s history.

“And after a late January blizzard made it clear that livestock by the millions were at risk, President Harry Truman declared the region a disaster. On Jan. 29 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers launched Operation Snowbound, a massive disaster response. Crews opened roads, cleared farmyards and carved paths to haystacks. Twelve states were affected by the storms, but four — Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota — were the focus of Operation Snowbound. Sixty-five years ago this week, the effort was declared a success. Corps records indicate about 240,000 trapped people were rescued, 115,000 miles of roads were reopened and more than 4 million head of livestock were fed. But despite the effort, dozens of people and more than 158,000 cattle and sheep died….

“In 1949 the corps and Union Pacific Railroad dispatched a total of more than 20,000 people to clear roads and lines. At their disposal were about 2,000 pieces of heavy equipment.

“Military and private planes also undertook aerial reconnaissance, rescue and relief. Food and feed were dropped by air to remote ranches or brought in on a vehicle known as a weasel, a hybrid of a Jeep and snowmobile….

“Combined, the corps and Union Pacific recorded 11 deaths among workers. Others suffered from snow blindness and such severe frostbite that amputations became necessary….

Hein: “….All across southeast Wyoming, northern Colorado, western South Dakota and western Nebraska, hundreds of people risked their lives in the storm to search for stranded motorists, missing neighbors or family members….The blizzard started on Sunday Jan. 2, 1949 and proved the worst of the century. The first storm would be followed by two more months of snow and bitter cold. The National Weather Service eventually reported 12 people dead in Wyoming after the first storm. Twenty-eight more died in western South Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska. On March 1, after the federal government had completed rescue operations, the official death toll for the whole region was 76. Unofficial estimates are somewhat higher….

“That first Sunday, a dark gray cloud advancing from the northwest “was like hitting a wall,”… Temperatures dropped from the mid-30s in the forenoon to 10 below zero or colder by evening. Winds gusted to 66 miles per hour, and snow blew everywhere.

“Within hours, roads were impassable. Cars stuck in ditches or were buried under 10-foot drifts. People began to worry about loved ones traveling home after the holidays, while many ranchers were setting out on the usually routine but suddenly dangerous trek to feed and water their cattle and sheep, sometimes pastured miles away. Given that some people got lost in the storm just trying to get from their house to a nearby corral or barn, these longer journeys could turn deadly….

“By Wednesday afternoon, January 5, the sky was clear and sunny but hardships continued because the wind did not let up. More storms piled on more and more snow through the middle of February….

“President Truman declared the snowbound western states disaster areas, with the worst sectors of Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming designated as special “distress areas.” Truman authorized a total of $700,000, of which Wyoming received $125,000….

Colorado

Ahlbrandt and Sundberg (CO): “There are still many people who vividly remember the blizzard of January 1949. Fifty-six years ago this month, Wellington made national newsreels and newspaper headlines. It was the worst blizzard in northern Colorado history. New Year’s Day 1949 dawned sunny and bright. Before the day ended, the temperature reached 70 degrees. The next day, a raging blizzard with winds up to 80 miles per hour swept across northern Colorado and the other Great Plains states. Temperatures dropped as low as 50 degrees below zero.

“For three days in a row, the area was isolated by huge snowdrifts, and traffic was paralyzed. There were 65 motorists stranded on U.S. Highway 87 between Wellington and Cheyenne. Many were returning home from the New Year holiday. If it weren’t for the efforts of the community of Wellington, many people would have certainly frozen to death….

“Across the Great Plains, over 100,000 travelers were marooned, and more than 100 perished….”

Nebraska

Dalstrom: “The winter of 1948-49 was particularly memorable because a series of storms between November and February paralyzed a large area of the northern Plains, including the northern third of Nebraska….in the wake of a massive blizzard on January 2-5, it became evident that Nebraska and other states would need large-scale federal assistance. Timely, well-coordinated aid, coordinated by the Fifth Army and the Army Corps of Engineers, would prove essential in averting disaster…. [p. 110]

May 11, 1950: “Omaha, May 11 (AP) — This week’s flash floods gave Nebraska its fourth worst weather catastrophe of record, on the basis of lives lost….the blizzard winter of 1948-49 ran up a death total of 27.” (AP. “Flood’s Death Toll Increases. Total Now 22.” Beatrice Daily Sun, 5-11-1950, p. 1.)

June 15, 2017: “Blizzard of 1949, 20+ deaths….The Blizzard of 1949…was actually a series of severe winter storms that began in November. Some areas of Nebraska had more than 100 inches of snow that winter, and Antelope County was reported to have had 30-foot snowdrifts that didn’t melt until June. There were at least 20 deaths in the Jan. 2-3 blizzard alone in Nebraska; millions of cattle were at risk as well….” (Lincoln Journal Star. “12 of the deadliest disasters in Nebraska history.” 6-15-2017.)

South Dakota

NWS WFO, Rapid City, SD: “Sixty-five years have passed since the Blizzard of 1949, considered one of the worst on record for the northern Plains. The first storm began January 2 and continued through January 5, with heavy snow, strong winds and cold temperatures. Subsequent storms through mid-February produced enormous snow drifts that paralyzed much of the region. Roads and railroads were blocked, so airplanes were used to bring food and medical supplies to isolated towns and hay to livestock.

“While only one person died in western South Dakota, twelve deaths were reported in Wyoming, seven in Colorado and 20 in Nebraska. (“Some Outstanding Blizzards”, U.S. Department of Commerce, Environmental Science Services Administration, Environmental Data Service, Revised December 1966).

“Rapid City Weather Bureau Office Meteorologist-in-Charge Fred H. McNally wrote “This is rated as the most severe blizzard in Rapid City history, considering wind, snow and temperature factors.” The average wind recorded by the Weather Bureau Airport Station (WBAS) at the Rapid City Municipal Airport [now Ellsworth Air Force Base, 10 miles northeast of Rapid City] on January 3 was 51.8 mph and on January 4 was 55.7 mph with the highest single mile of wind 73 mph [Note: The anemometer was located 19 feet above the roof of the office or 63 feet above the ground, compared to the current wind equipment at a height of 33 feet above the ground]. The Air Force Base Weather Office, across the field from the WBAS, reported gusts in excess of 90 mph. Snowfall from January 2-5 ranged from several inches to several feet. Temperatures dropped below well zero across northwestern South Dakota.

“January 1949 is the snowiest January on record for many of the observing stations in the Black Hills region. Snowfall during the month ranged from 12 to over 40 inches—three to eight times the normal of four to eight inches. It was also one of the coldest Januarys recorded, even with several days between blizzards reaching highs in the 50s and even 60s….” (NWS WFO Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard.)

Wyoming

Roddam: “The Storm of the Century in 1949 — On January 2, 1949, Wyoming residents were rocked by a winter storm that many remember as the “storm of the century”. 65 mile per hour wind gusts swept across the state burying cars and homes under 10 feet tall snowdrifts while temperatures reached below -10. More storms would follow in the next two months, forcing the federal government to begin rescue and relief missions across the region. By March, 12 deaths had been attributed to the weather, with the death toll reaching into the 70’s across Colorado, Nebraska and the Dakotas.” (Roddam, Rick. “The Five Worst Winter Storms in Wyoming History.” Kingfm.com, 12-29-2015.)

Newspapers

Jan 7, 1949: “A total of 17 persons were known dead Thursday night [Jan 6] as a result of the plans states blizzard, according to reports compiled by the Associated Press. Wyoming suffered most with nine fatalities, Colorado had six and Nebraska two. The number was expected to mount as rescue parties broke thru drifts to storm-isolated areas. Meanwhile the task of opening Nebraska’s rail lines and highways was progressing more slowly than earlier estimates by officials had indicated….” (Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Three State Toll of Dead in Blizzard Climbs to 17.” 1-7-1949, p. 1.)

Sources

Ahlbrandt, Arlene and Wayne C. Sundberg (wellington Centennial Committee). “Blizzard of ’49 stranded hundreds of travelers.” North Forty News, Larimer County, CO. August 2005. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: http://www.northfortynews.com/WellingtonCentennial/200501photoBlizzard.htm

Armstrong, Catherine. “A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Wyoming in 1949 and No One Saw it Coming.” Onlyinyourstate.com. Wyoming. 12-21-2016. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wyoming/blizzard-1949-wy/

Associated Press. “Flood’s Death Toll Increases. Total Now 22.” Beatrice Daily Sun, 5-11-1950, p. 1. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/beatrice-daily-sun-may-11-1950-p-1/?tag

Dalstrom, Harl A. “I’m Never Going to Be Snowbound Again: The Winter of 1948-1949 in Nebraska.” Nebraska History, Vol. 82, 2002, pp. 110-166. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/2002-Snowbound.pdf

Dunn, Meg. “The Blizzard of 1949, the Earliest Peoples in NoCo.” Forgotten Fort Collins. 1-6-2017. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://forgottenfortcollins.com/blizzard-1949-earliest-peoples-noco-shoutout-sponsors/

Gaarder, Nancy. “Freezing, hungry and trapped: 1949 blizzard left thousands stranded.” Omaha World-Herald, 2-23-2014. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.omaha.com/news/freezing-hungry-and-trapped-blizzard-left-thousands-stranded/article_536b9b1d-5543-516c-bb33-aa4d6bb46ad7.html

Hagerott, Judy. “The 1949 Blizzard of the Century.” SheridanMedia.com, WY. 2-6-2016. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: https://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/1949-blizzard-century84472

Hein, Rebecca. The Notorious Blizzard of 1949. WyoHistory.org (Wyoming State Historical Society). Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/notorious-blizzard-1949

Lincoln Journal Star. “12 of the deadliest disasters in Nebraska history.” 6-15-2017. Accessed 7-3-2017 at: http://journalstar.com/blogs/photofiles/of-the-deadliest-disasters-in-nebraska-history/collection_6ae50d55-7d8a-5b6f-b1c3-b0b54cfe84f0.html#8

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Rapid City, SD. January, 1949 Blizzard. NOAA, NWS. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: https://www.weather.gov/unr/1949-01

Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Deaths of Gordon, Mitchell Men Bring State Total to 4.” 1-8-1949, p. 1. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lincoln-nebraska-state-journal-jan-08-1949/

Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Drifts Still Hide Grim Storm Toll.” 1-6-1949, p. 1. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lincoln-nebraska-state-journal-jan-06-1949-p-1/?tag

Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Three State Toll of Dead in Blizzard Climbs to 17.” 1-7-1949, p. 1. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lincoln-nebraska-state-journal-jan-07-1949-p-1/?tag

PBS. Wyoming History. Blizzard of ’49. 57 minute video airing 12-8-2015. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365629270/

Peters, Mike. “Blizzard stranded hundreds, killed 18 and served as reminder.” Weld County Past Times, 1-16-1999. Accessed 7-14-2017 at: http://www.weldcounty150.org/YourStories/Blizzardof%2749.html

Roddam, Rick. “The Five Worst Winter Storms in Wyoming History.” Kingfm.com, Cheyenne. 12-29-2015. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://kingfm.com/the-five-worst-winter-storms-in-wyoming-history/

Wyoming State Tribune, Cheyenne. “New Storm Warning Issued as State Counts Nine Dead.” 1-7-1949, p. 1. Reproduction of top half of front page in Armstrong.

Also Consulted

Dumbrill, Lucille and Earl Christensen. “The Blizzard of 1949 in Weston County.” Wyoming History Journal, Vol. 68, No. 1, Winter 1996, pp. 2-3. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: https://archive.org/stream/annalsofwyom68141996wyom#page/n1/mode/2up

Grannie Anne. “Pioneer Potluck: Blizzard of 1949 in Northern Colorado.” Peninsula Clarion, Kenai, AK. 1-5-2016. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://peninsulaclarion.com/arts-entertainment/food/2016-01-05/blizzard-of-1949-in-northern-colardo

Lawrence, Amy, James L. Ehernberger, Lucille Dumbrill. “Wyoming Memories: Blizzard of 1949.” Annals of Wyoming (The Wyoming History Journal), Vol. 76, No. 1, Winter 2004, pp. 2-14. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: https://archive.org/stream/annalsofwyom76142004wyom#page/n1/mode/2up

Quillen, Ed. “Remembering the blizzards of ’49.” The Denver Post, 1-15-2007. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.denverpost.com/2007/01/15/remembering-the-blizzards-of-49/

[1] Fatality figure represents deaths not only during and after this storm, but follow-on storms and relief effort deaths.

[2] It is clear that more than 40 people died in the aftermath of a series of storms and extreme cold in January and February in the Plains states. However, the best figure we have been able to locate for this specific three-day blizzard the deaths in its aftermath appear to be that of the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Rapid City, SD. [None of the sources consulted mention any Native American deaths, yet we know from the PBS video that many were living in little more than canvas tents. We also know that living conditions were meager before the blizzard on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations and amongst Oglala Sioux population (see Dalstrom, p. 135). It seems conceivable that there were one or mare Native American deaths and that these were not chronicled by the surrounding white communities.

[3] Gaarder, Nancy. “Freezing, hungry and trapped: 1949 blizzard left thousands stranded.” Omaha World-Herald, 2-23-2014. Locations and time-frame not noted. There were a series of storms Jan-Feb, and necessity of relief.

[4] Find a Grave.com. “Phillip Roman.” Notes date of Death as Jan 3. Includes obituary article noting the family had visited in Wellington on New Year’s day. Left on 2^nd, stopped in Carr to visit friends. “When the blizzard started that evening they left for the ranch near Rockport. Snow was heavy and the wind and cold grew worse…The truck [pickup according to PBS video] got caught in a snowdrift and the family remained all night in the cab. Out of gas and no food, the family decided to try to reach their ranch, but the elements were against them and later their bodies were found frozen…” The Weld County, CO website notes the deaths in its page “Blizzard stranded hundreds, killed 18 and served as reminder.”

[5] Mr. Hannibal was with the Hydro-Gas Company in Alliance. His truck became stuck, he went to look for fence posts to give the truck traction (according to surviving companion), and did not make it back. Was found frozen. (NWS WFO, Rapid City, SD).

[6] Dalstrom, p. 124. Notes the plane hit a power line and crashed into a house killing both men aboard. We consider this part of disaster relief and recovery operations.

[7] Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Deaths of Gordon, Mitchell Men Bring State Total to 4.” 1-8-1949, p. 1.

[8] Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Drifts Still Hide Grim Storm Toll.” 1-6-1949, p. 1.

[9] Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Deaths of Gordon, Mitchell Men Bring State Total to 4.” 1-8-1949, p. 1. Writes that Mr. “Holleman, a gasoline transport driver, apparently had left his vehicle to seek shelter in the haystack.” According to Dalstrom (p. 120), who spells the last name of the victim as Holloman, “His body was found short of his objective [a haystack].”

[10] Highlighted in yellow to denote not used in our tally — time-frame is beyond the Jan 2-5 blizzard: “For nearly two months the blizzard raged on stranding travelers, isolating ranches, and stopping all forms of transportation… Dubbed the ‘Great White Death,’ people were left stranded in their cars for three and four days…miraculously only 17 people died in Wyoming.”

[11] Includes deaths from follow-on storms, thus not used as tally for this particular storm.

[12] Cites The National Weather Service for fatality figure.

[13] “By March, 12 deaths had been attributed to the weather…”

[14] Armstrong. “A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Wyoming in 1949…” Onlyinyourstate.com. Wyoming. 12-21-2016. Notes they “were found about 3.5 miles from their home in Hillsdale, frozen to death in their car.”

[15] Hein, Rebecca. The Notorious Blizzard of 1949. WyoHistory.org (Wyoming State Historical Society).

[16] Armstrong. “A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Wyoming in 1949…” Onlyinyourstate.com. WY. 12-21-2016.