Record-breaking low temperatures spreading into the central and eastern states this week are no match for what happened nearly 110 years ago when one of the most extreme cold fronts in American history swept through the same regions.
On Nov. 11, 1911, temperatures plummeted more than 70 degrees in a matter of hours and also whipped up blizzard conditions immediately after a tornado outbreak in the Midwest.
The so-called blue norther cold front sliced its way from the Plains states in the morning to near the Mississippi River by that evening. Behind the front was a bitterly cold arctic air mass that originated near the North Pole which quickly wiped away warm, humid conditions in place from the southern Plains to the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
This animation shows the high temperatures on Nov. 11, 1911, compared to the lows just before midnight a few hours later that same day.
The term blue norther is sometimes used by meteorologists to describe a fast-moving cold front that sends temperatures quickly into a nosedive across the Great Plains states. This type of cold front occurs every year, but the event 108 years ago was in a league of its own.
Record High and a Record Low on the Same Day
At least two cities accomplished an incredible feat by setting both daily high- and low-temperature records on Nov. 11, 1911, that stand to this day.
-Oklahoma City: A record high temperature of 83 degrees was set during the afternoon. Just before midnight on Nov. 11, a record low of 17 degrees was observed. The front was also accompanied by a dust storm.
-Springfield, Missouri: At 3:45 p.m. local time, the temperature was a record 80 degrees. It then fell 67 degrees in 10 hours to a record-setting low of 13 degrees just before midnight on Nov. 11. Winds gusted up to 74 mph in the city as the front swept through, causing damage to buildings, the National Weather Service said.
Farther east, St. Louis saw its temperature plunge an incredible 26 degrees in just 10 minutes. At 6:10 p.m., it was warm enough for a t-shirt, with a temperature of 74 degrees. By 6:20 p.m., it had dropped to a chilly 49 degrees. The blast of cold air was preceded by strong, damaging winds and hail, according to the NWS.
The drastic temperature plunge continued as the front pushed through the Ohio Valley the next day.
Louisville, Kentucky, recorded its high temperature of 74 degrees around midnight on Nov. 12, but by dawn, it was in the 20s. In Lexington, Kentucky, the morning began with a temperature of 70 degrees before slipping into the 20s through the day.
Tornado Outbreak, Then a Blizzard
In the mild air ahead of the cold front, an outbreak of tornadoes struck portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana.
Near the south-central Wisconsin town of Janesville, an F4 tornado caused major damage and killed nine people.
Only a few hours after the tornado struck, blizzard conditions developed, severely impacting recovery efforts. In addition to the snow and strong winds, temperatures plummeted into the single digits.
Overall, the outbreak spawned several tornadoes of F2 to F4 intensity and killed 13 people.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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