1979 — Oct 29 to Nov 2, Winter Snow Storm/Blizzard, Midwest/Great Plains, esp. CO/6–13

–13  Blanchard tally based on State and locality breakouts below.

–10  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.

—  9  UPI. “Storm Leaves Nine Dead; Moves into Upper Midwest.” Pharos-Tribune, 11-1-1979.

—  8  AP. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” 10-31-1979, p. 1.

 

Colorado        (  6)

— 6  National Climatic Data Center/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.

— 5  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.

— 1  Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland, Oct 29-31. Rockslide, male.[1]

— 3  West of Kit Carson, Oct 31. Three semi-trailer trucks collide in “blinding snow…”[2]

— 2  U.S. 287, 5 M so. of Campo. CO poisoning/hypothermia; couple in car buried in snowdrift.[3]

 

Nebraska        (>1)  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.

— >1  Oct 30. “…snow was blamed for at least one traffic death.[4]

 

New Mexico   (>1) 

— >1  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.

—   1  Oct 29. “A pilot trying to guide a small plane through blinding snows died in a crash…”[5]

 

Oklahoma      (  3)

—   3  Carter Co., Oct 30. Tornado destroys 2 mobile homes (two females); debris kills male.[6]

—   2  Ardmore area, Carter County, Oct 31. Winter storm spawned tornado. Mobile home.

— >1  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.[7]

 

Texas              (  2)

— 2  TX Panhandle, Oct 31. Couple trying to help motorist in snow-filled ditch hit by car.[8]

 

Narrative Information

 

Oct 29-31, NCDC on Colorado Blizzard: “A severe blizzard roared across Southeastern Colorado, closing roads, stranding travelers, killing livestock, and generally paralyzing the area on the 30th and 31st. The storm produced winds as strong as 70 MPH, up to a foot of snow, and drifts 12 feet high. Almost all highways east and south of Denver were closed on the night of the 30th….” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.)

 

Oct 29-30, NCDC on Nebraska Panhandle and North Central Heavy Snow: “Wet snow fell with depths averaging 2 to 5 inches in the southern panhandle upwards to 5 to 10 inches in the northern panhandle and western Cherry County. Greatest snowfall reported was 10 inches at Harrison where gusty winds drifted the snow to depths of 2 to 4 feet. The wet snow broke trees and power lines.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 7.)

 

Oct 30-31, NCDC on Nebraska Central and North Central Snow and Freezing Rain: “Wet snow mixed at times with freezing rain and driven by winds gusting to 40 to 50 m.p.h. downed numerous power lines and trees. Many towns and farms were without power with an estimated 50,000 customers affected. Hardest hit areas were around Broken Bow, Basset, Burwell, Loup City and Holdrege. Snow was heavy at times with near blizzard conditions. Heaviest reported snowfalls were 6 inches at Holdrege and around 4 inches in the sandhills.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 7.)

 

Oct 30, NCDC on New Mexico Blizzard: “Intense and deepening low pressure center Oklahoma Panhandle area brought severe blizzard conditions throughout the day. Snow and blowing snow closed most roads and stranded motorists. An estimated 3,000 cattle killed in New Mexico….” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 7.)

 

Oct 30-31, NCDC on Oklahoma Blizzard: “Two to 3 inches of snow fell across the Panhandle with drifts up to a foot in Texas and Cimarron Counties where the damage was greatest. Winds up to 90 mph accompanied the snow. About 5,000 cattle were killed along with hundreds of other farm animals….This was the worst loss of cattle since the blizzard of 1957. Many towns were without power for days as 75 to 95 percent of the power poles in Texas and Cimarron Counties were downed.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 9.)

 

Oct 30, NCDC on Texas Panhandle Winter Storm: “….By 7 a.m. snow began to fall in the northwestern Panhandle and winds began to gust to 50 and 60 mph. By early afternoon visibilities were reported to be near zero over much of the area, although snow accumulations were still light. Twelve-inch deep snow drifts combined with icy roads and blinding sleet and snow, forced 400 vehicles to be abandoned on Interstate 40 between Tucumcari, New Mexico, and Amarillo, Texas. Power lines were down in the Dalhart area and several power poles were reported to be lying across Highway 54 just northeast of Stratford. Power was lost in the communities of Adrian, Borger, Bushland, Channing, Dalhart, Dumas, Gruver, Hartley, Vega and Wildorado for most of the 30th and a portion of the 31st of October. Residents gathered in community shelters as temperatures remained below freezing through the night and much of the following day. The most devastating loss to the area was the death of over 9,000 cattle. The combination of high winds and cold temperatures killed many as they developed pneumonia, while others drowned or suffocated as the moisture filled their lungs or froze on their nostrils. Losses due to cattle alone are estimated at $3,500,000. Snowfall amounts for the area generally ranged from 1 to 2 inches with the greatest amount being 5 inches at Bushland in southeastern Potter County.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 12.)

 

Newspapers

 

Oct 30, AP: “Winter made a preview sweep through the southern Plains states today, dumping more than a foot of snow in the Rockies and unleashing howling winds that sent the wind chill factor to 20 below zero in Denver.

 

“In Texas, where snow was falling, northerly winds gusted to hurricane force, triggering severe thunderstorms and at least one small tornado.

 

“The storm, which began developing Monday [Oct 29] and gained strength today [Oct 30], left up to 8 inches of snow in Nebraska, where the snow was blamed for at least one traffic death.

 

“A blanket of snow was laid on Colorado east of the Continental Divide, with up to a half-foot forecast for later in the day. More snow was also predicted for the Texas Panhandle and Kansas….”

 

“…Ellis Burton, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Denver…[said] ‘With the 25 degree temperature and the 30 know wind, it makes a wind chill of 15 to 20 below.’….” (Associated Press. “Winter: a preview sweep.” Garden City Telegram, KS, 10-30-1979, p. 1.

 

Oct 31, UPI on NM: “Near blizzard conditions, with winds up to 60 mph and foot-deep snow, forced road closures, stranding motorists and knocking out telephone and power lines in several northeastern New Mexico communities where stranded motorists took overnight refuge in private homes. Many stranded motorists were held up several hours when Interstate 40 was closed by the icy conditions and semi-trailer rigs that had jack-knifed across the highway between Santa Rosa and Tucumcari….” (UPI. “Blizzard stalls northern N.M.” Roswell Daily Record, NM, 10-31-1979, p. 1.)

 

Nov 1, UPI: “Digging out of huge snowdrifts left by a mid-autumn blizzard, rescuers on the Great Plains found 30 people huddled in the back of a refrigerated truck and helped 16 more from a stranded bus. A couple died, however, before snowplows reached them.

 

“The snowstorm, which killed at least nine people since Tuesday [Oct 30], moved into the northern Plains and upper Midwest today. The National Weather Service posted winter storm warnings for the Dakotas.

 

“More than a foot of snow fell on eastern Colorado, and high winds whipped snowdrifts up to 12 feet high in some areas of the Plains.  Winds gusting past 50 mph blew down power poles in Nebraska and South Dakota Wednesday night, cutting electrical power to more than 15,000 rural customers. Utility officials said it might take until Sunday to restore power.

 

“The storm weakened after two days of battering the Rocky Mountains and central Plains….The huge storm buried a broad area from Nebraska and South Dakota to Colorado and the Texas Panhandle in deep snow….”

 

Nov 2, Crescent News: “Snow piled 12 feet high by the season’s first blizzard melted into mud and slush on the Great Plains today, hampering the efforts of utility crews to restore electrical power to more than 60,000 rural residents.

 

“The storm, which swept out of the Rockies on Tuesday [Oct 30] and moved into Canada Thursday [Nov 1], left a trail of debris from north Texas to North Dakota. Hardest hit were parts of eastern Colorado, western Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

 

“The storm killed 10 people in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska, and hundreds of head of cattle on the open ranges of the Plains….” (Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” Ironwood Daily Globe, MI, 10-31-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/michigan/ironwood/ironwood-daily-globe/1979/10-31?tag

 

Associated Press. “Winter: a preview sweep.” Garden City Telegram, KS, 10-30-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/garden-city/garden-city-telegram/1979/10-30?tag

 

Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/ohio/defiance/defiance-crescent-news/1979/11-02/page-2?tag

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979. Asheville, NC: NCDC. Accessed 10-10-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-43C4A048-F9E8-4275-9E88-965C5A78630A.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 11, Nov 1979. Asheville, NC: NCDC. Accessed 10-10-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-57BD4FF4-2AF8-4091-BBDF-9BBB3F20D44E.pdf

 

United Press International. “Blizzard stalls northern N.M.” Roswell Daily Record, NM, 10-31-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-mexico/roswell/roswell-daily-record/1979/10-31?tag

 

United Press International. “First prairie blizzard hits.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 10-31-1979, pp. 6-7. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/ukiah/ukiah-daily-journal/1979/10-31/page-41?tag

 

United Press International. “Rescue teams reach dozens of snow-stranded persons.” Galveston Daily News, 11-1-1979, p. 10-A. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/galveston/galveston-daily-news/1979/11-01/page-10?tag

 

United Press International. “Storm Leaves Nine Dead; Moves into Upper Midwest.” Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21. Accessed 10-6-2016 at:

http://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/logansport/logansport-pharos-tribune/1979/11-01/page-21?tag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3. Writes “Heavy, wet snow was blamed for the slide.”

[2] United Press International. “First prairie blizzard hits.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 10-31-1979, p. 7. Writes: “…a Denver man and two residents of Oklahoma City” died in the crash. NCDC notes the crash took place “during ground blizzard conditions.” NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.

[3] “…two people…died in a car buried under a drift on U.S. 287 some 5 miles south of Campo, Colo. The Baca County Coroner’s Office said Ray Sawyer, 59, and his wife, Mary, 56, of Roswell, N.M., were asphyxiated by carbon monoxide. The bodies were discovered by a truck driver. NCDC, though, writes “A couple froze to death after their car became stuck in a snowdrift…” NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.

[4] Associated Press. “Winter: a preview sweep.” Garden City Telegram, KS, 10-30-1979, p. 1.

[5] United Press International. “First prairie blizzard hits.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 10-31-1979, p. 7. Also: “A plane flying through the storm crashed in New Mexico Monday night [Oct 29], killing the pilot.” (UPI. “Rescue teams reach dozens of snow-stranded persons.” Galveston Daily News, 11-1-1979, p. 10-A.)

[6] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 9. Notes: “Tornado first touched down about 1.1 mile south and 1.2 miles west of Newport. Two mobile homes were completely demolished. One woman was killed outright and a second died several days later. A third fatality occurred at this location when debris hit a man who was pouring concrete near the mobile homes….”

[7] Associated Press. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” 10-31-1979, p. 1.

[8] Associated Press. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” 10-31-1979, p. 1. Victims identified “as Teresa Carroll, 59, of rural Ardmore and Jimmie Lee Bob, 41, of Ardmore, who was…[hit] by pieces of the mobile home as he got out of his truck.”