2 weeks Ago By John Wheeler
FARGO — The infamous Armistice Day Blizzard hit this region suddenly on Nov. 11, 1940, killing 154 people in the Upper Midwest. Among the dead were 49 Minnesotans, mostly bird hunters who froze to death after getting stranded in the heavy snow and falling temperatures.
In Lake Michigan, 66 sailors drowned as numerous freighters and other small boats were sunk. The storm came on suddenly and had not been well forecast. Temperatures in the morning were near 40 degrees, but fell suddenly as north winds increased to 50 mph and higher.
Gusts to 80 mph were recorded. Rain fell, then turned to sleet, and then snow. Central Minnesota was hit the hardest.
The heaviest snow, 27 inches, fell on Collegeville, Minn. Minneapolis got 16 inches of snow. Only an inch or so fell in the Red River Valley, but the wind still managed to whip up blizzard conditions with temperatures falling below 10 degrees.
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