In 1933, Wyoming Plunged Into An Arctic Freeze That Makes This Year’s Winter Look Downright Mild

Even for die-hard Wyomingites, winter can wear out its welcome, especially when the snow just keeps coming and the temperatures dip below freezing and stay there. We've had our share of chilly days and even colder nights in the Cowboy State this winter, but it really could be worse. Back in 1933, as if things weren't bad enough with the Depression in full swing, an arctic cold front plunged Wyoming into a record freeze that makes this year's winter look like a season in the tropics.

If there's one thing you can expect from Wyoming in winter, it's that you're gonna get cold.

So far, temperatures this year have gotten down to 20 below a few times, but that's nothing compared to the cold snap that hit in February of 1933.

An icy winter storm that had been brewing on the dry, grassy plains of Russia made its way east, eventually hitting Wyoming with the coldest temperatures in recorded history.

Dubbed the Siberian Express, the frigid front caused temperatures to drop to -66 degrees in Yellowstone.

Yellowstone gets the prize for the lowest temperature that winter but, at -63, even nearby Moran was colder than a penguin's tail feathers.

Wyoming wasn't the only state affected by the freezing storm. Nationwide, more than 60 people died as a result of the conditions.

Not much was recorded about animal fatalities, but you can imagine the damage extreme low temperatures could do to the economy in a state like Wyoming where ranching is so prevalent - especially during the Depression.

So, yes, it's been cold in Wyoming before, and you can count on the fact that it will get cold again, but you can thank your lucky stars that - at least recently - we haven't been as far south of zero as it got that fateful February in 1933.

Have you heard stories about the Siberian freeze of 1933?