Over 120 Years Ago, Mississippi Was Hit With The Worst Blizzard In History
Snow is pretty rare in Mississippi. And blizzards in Mississippi? Well, they’re practically non-existent, but they do hit the Magnolia State from time to time. The worst blizzard in Mississippi history was the Great Blizzard of 1899. Dubbed “the Snow King,” it hit the U.S. between February 12th and 14th, bringing with it freezing temperatures and plenty of snow and ice. To this day, it remains not only one of the worst blizzards in Mississippi, but the worst to ever hit the U.S.
A massive storm, the Great Blizzard of 1899 affected a huge portion of North America – from Saskatchewan, Canada all the way down to Cuba!
In addition to Snow King and Great Blizzard of 1899, the blizzard is also known as the Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899.
It all began when an extremely cold air mass travelled south from Canada. The west coast was the first in the country to feel the frigid effects of the storm. And from there, it snowballed.
With it, the storm brought record low temperatures to much of the country. In Aberdeen, Mississippi temperatures plummeted to -15 degrees! On Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, temperatures dropped to just 1 degree.
Even Florida got snow. The above photo shows government officials in Tallahassee, Florida, having a snowball fight on the stairs of the Florida State Capitol.
The blizzard caused small icebergs to form in the Mississippi River, stopping boats in their tracks. Over on the Gulf Coast, the bays and parts of the Mississippi sound were frozen solid.
According to the Sun Herald, "... Both the front and back bays were frozen out a distance of several hundred feet and of sufficient thickness to bear the weight of a strong man."
Gulf Coast residents were far from prepared for the blizzard. The day before the storm hit, the newspaper printed a weather prediction, which read "Fair except snow or rain; continued cold, fresh to brisk northerly winds."
Between the unprecedented temperatures and lack of preparation, the situation quickly turned dire for Gulf Coast residents. Coal supplies dwindled, gas lines malfunctioned, and pipes froze.
Though more than 100 years have passed since the Great Blizzard of 1899, it remains one of the most notorious winter storms in history.
Part of the reason the blizzard is so notable is because it brought freezing temperatures to southern states that, for the most part, were used to pretty mild winters. There’s also the fact that the blizzard brought record low temperatures to most of the country – many of which still stand to this day.
Check out the video below to see more photos from the blizzard.
Can you imagine this brutal winter in Mississippi?!
And while this remains the worst blizzard in Mississippi history, it’s not the only blizzard in the state’s past. Click here to read about another extremely cold winter in Mississippi.
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Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
