75 Years Ago, A Bizarre Phenomenon Caused Windows To Crack In This Tiny South Dakota Town

South Dakota weather, particularly winter weather in the Black Hills, can certainly be fickle, but on January 22, 1943 wild temperature swings set a world record in Spearfish, South Dakota.

In the third week of January, 1943, the little town of Spearfish was experiencing frigid temperatures of -4 degrees after an arctic chill had settled in.

On the morning of January 22nd, at around 7:30 am, Chinook winds blew down from the top of the Black Hills, into Spearfish, warming up the temperature from -4 degrees to 45 degrees in just two minutes.

The drastic change in temperature in just two minutes set a world record that remains unbroken today.

The 49-degree temperature change in only two minutes time was unheard of. The record shocked the National Weather Service, and even appeared in Ripley's Believe It Or Not. The temperature continued to climb, and by 9 am, it was 54 degrees in Spearfish.

When the Chinooks died down just a few hours later, the arctic air returned, and temperatures began to fall again.

It took just 27 minutes for the temperature to plunge from 58 degrees back to -4 degrees. The shift was so quick that windows frosted over, and many cracked from the sudden temperature change.

What a day! In the space of just a few hours, the temperature in Spearfish rose from -4 degrees to 58 degrees, then fell right back to -4 degrees again. From frigid... to balmy... to frigid again.

So, do you remember the winter of 1943? Were you in Spearfish, South Dakota at the time? We’d love to hear your stories about this incredible weather day!

South Dakota winters can be tough, and for some reason, no one speaks about it. To prove our point, here are a few things no one tells you about surviving winter in South Dakota.

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