1950 — Jan 13-14, snow storm, deep cold, blizzard, OR, WA, BC (2), esp. WA (8-9) –11-13
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard, 8-29-2023, for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–11-13 Blanchard estimate:
We note that none of the sources cited below, which indicate 13 deaths, actually provide data to support the statement of 13 lives lost. We have scanned though numerous newspapers published in Oregon, Washington and Canada for the timeframe of Jan 13-19 and can locate only eight specific deaths in WA, two in BC, and none in OR (we did see reports of two men missing in OR but could find no follow-up one way or another). The highest estimate of total deaths we locate is eleven deaths noted by the Associated Press on Jan 16 (nine in WA and two in BC). There may have been 13 deaths and we have not been able to identity them. Thus we note 13 deaths as the high end of our death toll range. We use the AP report of 11 deaths as the low end of our range.
–13 Barber. “46 Years Ago…Blizzard Killed 13 in Pacific Northwest,” Seattle Post Intelligencer, 1996, A1.
–13 Dougherty. “Record low temperatures…heavy snow plague Washington state…” 1-23-2007.
–13 National Weather Service. Portland, OR Weather Forecast Office. WA Top 10 Weather.
–13 Wong and Pulkkinen, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 22, 2008.
–11 AP. “Total of 11 Lives Lost in Blizzard…” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-16-1050, 1.
(Washington and British Columbia.)
–11 Blanchard estimated death toll from Washington State and British Columbia noted below.
British Columbia, Canada (2)
–2 Canadian Press. “Canada Shivers and Shakes in Winter Storms.” Brandon Daily Sun, 1-16-1950, p1.
–1 Chilliwack. Stillbirth; mother could not get through storm to hospital.
–1 Vancouver. Elderly woman freezes in unheated home.
Washington (9)
–9 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. “Blizzard Leaves Nine Dead in State.” 1-15-1950, p. 1.
–8 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” 1-14-1950, p. 1.
Breakout of Washington state winter storm related deaths by locality where noted by sources:
–3 Kalama area, Jan 13. Car skids on icy road into pond; Mrs. Charlotte Warner, 20; Ronald, 2, Marcella, 1.[1]
–1 Lake Washington. Two vehicles skid into each other; man thrown from his car into lake.[2]
–1 Longview. Electrocution; man repairing frozen lumber mill crane; William S. Hayes, 45.[3]
–2 Ritzville area. Children walking home with father after car stalled on snow-drifted road.[4]
–1 Seattle south end. Frozen body of elderly man found under a hotel and store building.[5]
Narrative Information
Barber: “The weather service, which has been keeping records in Seattle since 1893, defines a blizzard as having winds exceeding 35 mph, low visibility and enough blinding snow to reduce visibility to less than a quarter-mile. [Retired NWS meteorologist Bill] Allyn said visibility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport went from unlimited in late afternoon to an eighth of a mile by midnight….
“Seattle suffered 6-foot snowdrifts and was whipped by 40-mph winds. Gusts as high as 68 mph and 70 mph were reported in Bellingham and Oregon, respectively. January 1950 still holds the record for the coldest Seattle day, zero degrees on Jan. 31; the most snowfall in 24 hours, 21.4 inches; and the greatest snowfall for one month, 57.2 inches….
“The treacherous conditions caused by the blizzard led to some bizarre deaths. One man, Bert Heath, 40, drowned in Lake Washington after a traffic accident on the Interstate 90 Bridge. He was thrown from a skidding truck across the railing and into the lake. `The storm was so bad, visibility so poor and traffic so snarled that no immediate attempt was made to recover Heath’s body’ the Post-Intelligencer reported….
“Seattle authorities, meanwhile, discovered the frozen body of William Egbert beneath a building on Charles Street. On Capitol Hill, Keene Young died while exerting himself shoveling snow. In Ballard, a 4-year-old boy got lost while simply walking around the block. (Barber, “46 Years Ago Tomorrow, Record Blizzard Killed 13 in Pacific Northwest,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 12, 1996,p. A1)
NWS Weather Forecast Office Portland, OR. Washinton’s Top 10 Weather Events of 1900s:
“No. 3. January 13, 1950 – The January 1950 Blizzard
- 21.4” of snow fell in Seattle on the 13th together with winds of 25-40 MPH, the 2nd greatest 24 hour snowfall recorded
- Claimed 13 lives in the Puget Sound area
- During Jan, 18 days with high temps 32 degrees or lower
- Winter of 1949-50 the coldest winter on record in Seattle – average temp 34.4 degrees
- Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and parts of Oregon were paralyzed – lower elevation snow depths ranged up to 50 inches and temperatures plunged into minus teens and twenties. Several dozen fatalities.” (NWS, Portland OR WFO, WA Top 10 Weather)
Western Regional Climate Center. “Oregon’s Top 10 Weather Events of the 1900s.” No. 8:
“January, 1950 Snowstorms
“January, 1950, was a very cold month statewide, with frequent snowstorms. For the state as a whole, snow was the heaviest during this January than ever before since the beginning of weather record keeping, which began in 1890. For some areas, the heaviest one-day snowfall was reported during the first few days of the month, while for others the heaviest one-day snowfall occurred during the last few days. For most locations, the heaviest occurred during the period of January 9 through the 18th. Actually, there were three storms, but very little time separated them. Their net effect was a nearly continuous storm. On the 13th, snow was accompanied by high winds, creating widespread blowing and drifting of snow. Deep snow drifts closed all highways west of the Cascades and through the Columbia River Gorge. A very severe sleet storm began around noon on the 18th. Within hours sleet piled up to depths of 4 to 5 inches in northwestern Oregon. During the night of the 18th, the sleet turned to freezing rain, and created much havoc on highways, trees, and power lines. Hundreds of motorists were stranded in the Columbia River Gorge. The stranded motorists had to be rescued by train, though even all rail traffic had considerable difficulty and many delays in getting through the Gorge. Freezing rain downed many trees and power lines, creating widespread power outages across northwestern Oregon. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage occurred.”
Wong and Pulkkinen: “During an unexpected storm that began on Jan. 13, 1950, the Puget Sound area was choked by almost 2 feet of snow that fell in 24 hours. Winds whipped the snow into drifts 6 feet high and blinded those caught out and about, making it the area’s only snowfall on record to be considered an actual blizzard. The storm left 13 people dead and caused $1 million in damage.” (Wong and Pulkkinen, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 22, 2008.)
Newspapers
Jan 13, AP: “Seattle (AP) – The weather bureau issued a special blizzard and livestock warning Friday [Jan 13] for Washington, Oregon and Idaho, predicting more snow, wind and acold. Snow and blizzard conditions were expected in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho Friday afternoon and night, with strong north to northeast winds by Friday evening, gradually diminishing Saturday….
“Hazardous highway and weather conditions brought three deaths in Washington state early Friday as a car skidded through wind-driven snow, on an icy highway, into a pond in Cowlitz county [WA]. A mother and two children perished.
“Intense cold prevailed throughout the northwest states. Bitter wintry blast made it worst….Winds reported up to 60 miles an hour hit the Washington coast. The storm sank eight or nine fishing boats in the moorage on Grays harbor. Men battling to save them were almost helpless, the officer in charge reported, because ‘they became almost walking icicles.’….” (AP. “Mercury Drops All Over Northwest as New Blizzard Hits…” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-13-1950, p. 1.)
Jan 14, AP: “By Associated Press. The Pacific northwest’s worst blizzard of the century brought death by freezing to two struggling children on a snow-blocked Eastern Washington road and left six persons missing early Saturday in Southern Oregon. Friday’s violent storm moved eastward through Idaho and Montana. It left clear weather behind it along the coast.
“The total of storm-caused deaths in Washington state rose to eight. The toll was raised Saturday by the death of two children and the death of a Spokane truck driver after he was hit by a car while standing beside his stalled truck in the Columbia basin area of Eastern Washington.
“The two children met death near Ritzville when they tried to walk home with their father after the family car stalled on a snow-drifted country road after midnight. It was snowing at the time. Sheriff Frank Lucas of Adams County identified the victims as Donne Stumpf, 8, and Irene Stumpf, 9. The father, Fred Stumpf, was reported in serious condition at a Ritzville hospital. The Ritzville area is one of long distances between houses on large wheat farms. The Stumpfs were a mile from home when the car went off the road and stalled.
“….Biting cold prevailed throughout the Northwest. A low of 21 degrees below zero was reported at Ellensburg. A fraction of a degree above zero was an all-time low at Vancouver, B.C. The official low at Seattle during the night was 11 above zero. It was 9 above at the Seattle-Tacoma airport.
“Four of the previous five storm-caused deaths in Washington were due to drownings. A car went off an icy highway and carried a mother and two children to death by drowning. A man was thrown to his death in Lake Washington by a collision of skidding vehicles. Another man was electrocuted while trying to repair a piece of frozen lumber mill equipment.
“Destruction was widespread. Many highways were closed. State patrols of Washington and Oregon warned motorists against using those that were open unless they faced emergencies…. there was drifted snow everywhere.
“A supply convoy bucked its way into the little town of Sumas, near the Canadian border early Saturday. It took nearly five hours to make the last seven miles from Bellingham. The town had been cut off two days by the storm. The convoy included two bakery trucks, two fuel trucks, two milk trucks and radio-equipped state patrol cars.
“Air traffic was grounded. Trains ran hours behind schedule. Buses cancelled many trips. Upwards of 1,000 cars were reported marooned in various parts of Washington and Oregon, but all occupants were reported to have made their way to safety. Dozens of communities were isolated. Snowplows fought drifts up to 12 feet deep to break through to many of them needing emergency supplies….
“In Oregon, all main highways and secondary roads were closed….At midnight it was zero at The Dalles, on the Columbia river, and Pendleton in the northeast part of the state. Elsewhere temperatures ranged between 10 and 25 above….
“Klamath Falls had 30 inches of snow on the ground after 14 inches was added in 11 hours… Astoria also was virtually isolated. Nearly a foot of snow fell, and was whipped by winds reaching 50 mils an hour….” (Associated Press. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-14-1950, p. 1.)
Jan 15, AP: “By Associated Press
“A blizzard which raked the Pacific coast from Canada to Northern California Friday roared Eastward Saturday after causing nine deaths in Washington….Five of the Washington deaths were in highway accidents directly attributable to snow and ice conditions. An elderly man’s frozen body was found under a hotel and store building in Seattle’s south end. Coroner’s deputies expressed the belief he died after seeking shelter from Friday’s icy blasts and snow. He was dressed in war surplus clothing….” (Associated Press. “Auto Accidents Take Five; 500 Sheep Freeze to Death of 1,600 in Ephrata Flock.” 1-15-1950, p. 1.)
Jan 16, Canadian Press: “….The worst winter in British Columbia history took a toll of two, an aged woman found dead in her fuel-empty home in North Vancouver and a baby who died at birth at Chilliwack [mother could not get through storm to hospital]….”(Canadian Press. “Canada Shivers and Shakes in Winter Storms.” Brandon Daily Sun, 1-16-1950, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Auto Accidents Take Five; 500 Sheep Freeze to Death of 1,600 in Ephrata Flock.” 1-15-1950, p. 1. Accessed 8-31-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-jan-15-1950-p-1/
Associated Press. “Mercury Drops All Over Northwest as New Blizzard Hits; Many Schools Closed.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-13-1950, p. 1. Accessed 8-30-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-jan-13-1950-p-1/
Associated Press. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-14-1950, p. 1. Accessed 8-30-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-jan-14-1950-p-1/
Associated Press. “Total of 11 Lives Lost in Blizzard…” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-16-1050, p. 1. Accessed 8-31-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-jan-16-1950-p-1/
Barber. “46 Years Ago Tomorrow, Record Blizzard Killed 13 in Pacific Northwest,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 12, 1996, p. A1. Accessed at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/archives/1996/9601140084.asp
Canadian Press. “Canada Shivers and Shakes in Winter Storms.” Brandon Daily Sun, 1-16-1950, p. 1. Accessed 8-31-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-daily-sun-jan-16-1950-p-1/
Dougherty, Phil. “Record low temperatures and heavy snow plague Washington state for three weeks beginning on January 12, 1950.” HistoryLink.org, The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 1-23-2007. Accessed 8-31-2023 at: https://www.historylink.org/File/8079
National Weather Service Forecast Office, Portland, OR. Washington’s Top 10 Weather Events of 1900’s. NWS, NOAA. Accessed 12-22-2008 at: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/paststorms/washington10.php
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. “Blizzard Leaves Nine Dead in State.” 1-15-1950, p. 1. Accessed 8-31-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-jan-15-1950-p-1/
Western Regional Climate Center. “Oregon’s Top 10 Weather Events of the 1900s.” Accessed 8-31-2023 at: https://wrcc.dri.edu/Climate/extremes_or.php#top8
Wong, Brad, and Levi Pulkkinen. “Snow Could Hang Around Through Christmas,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 12-22-2008. Accessed at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/393116_storm22.html?source=mypi
[1] Associated Press. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-14-1950, p. 1.
[2] Victim identified as Bert C. Heath, 40, of Seattle. The collision was on a floating bridge. (Associated Press. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-14-1950, p. 1.)
[3] Associated Press. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-14-1950, p. 1.
[4] “Sheriff Frank Lucas of Adams County identified the victims as Donnie Stumpf, 8 and Irene Stumpf, 9. The father, Fred Stumph, was reported in serious condition at a Ritzville hospital.” (Associated Press. “Storm Causes Eight Deaths in State.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. 1-14-1950, p. 1.)
[5] Assoc. Press. “Auto Accidents Take Five; 500 Sheep Freeze to Death of 1,600 in Ephrata Flock.” 1-15-1950, p. 1.
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