Sometimes it takes a catastrophe and major loss of life to make a change for the better. On Nov. 11, 1940, a Minnesota forecast issued in Chicago predicted a “moderate cold wave.” By Nov. 13, temperatures had fallen 40-50 degrees with 1-3 feet of snow and 20-foot drifts in some spots. The Armistice Day Blizzard caught Minnesota by surprise with tragic consequences: 49 Minnesota deaths, many of them duck hunters who were caught outside in shirtsleeves during 60 mph winds. Meteorologist Todd Nelson’s grandmother was 8 when the storm hit her home in Brainerd. Her mom tied a rope around her waist, anchored to the back door, so she could get to the chicken coop and back in the white-out.
By 1941 forecasts were issued by the MSP Weather Bureau instead of Chicago to reduce the risk of more inaccurate forecasts.
No blizzards in sight, just a warming trend (60 degrees by Friday), followed by Saturday showers, and a little ice or slush next week.
We could see some accumulating snow by Thanksgiving. Why should anything be easy?
