A Massive Blizzard Blanketed Kansas In Snow In 1886 And It's Never Been Matched Since

As the magical groundhog of weather has fortold, we’re to get six more weeks of winter. These early Kansans, however, had no idea this storm was coming, and definitely didn’t know it would last this long. January of 1886 was a rough month for these Western Kansans, for sure.

On January 5, 1886, the weather was mild, much like it has been here recently. Little did they know, however, that this was headed their way! A farmer in Caldwell was suspicious of this weather, and took to a nearby town for supplies. He barely made it home before the storm hit on January 6th.

The Topeka Daily Capital on Jan 9th told a story of the blizzard that had "Been raging since thursday" and many drifts had become over 6 feet tall.

Communications and traffic stopped everywhere. Trains couldn't get through the snow for days.

There's around 100 reported deaths attributed to freezing in this storm. In some areas, up to 75% of herds were lost.

Only three passenger trains made it to Denver that month.

Doesn’t this storm sound terrifying! True, we’ve got heaters and better insulation, but it would be like black friday for bread and milk at your local grocery store! For more history, check out the links below.

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A Massive Blizzard Blanketed Kansas In Snow In 1886 And It's Never Been Matched Since

Clarisa

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