Thread by @WxDepo

With the #polarvortex last week and the potential for significant Pac NW snow, I thought it'd be interesting to look at the "benchmark" arctic outbreak on record. Behold, the Great Arctic Outbreak of Feb 4-14, 1899. /1

The majority of what follows is taken from Kocin, Weiss, Wager (1988). Highly recommend the read along with the Weather Bureau Monthly Weather Summary /2
journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.117…
ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/…

The period began "benignly" enough with temperatures reaching 33 in Los Angeles, 12 in Seattle, and -9 in Boise on Feb 3-4. Cold, for sure, but nothing that still holds a record today. Then the first of three relatively "normal" snowstorms began in the East. /3

Sequence of 3 waves of low pressure from Feb 7 - 12 forming along a stationary boundary in the Southeast moved toward New England bringing successive moderate snow events. Nothing totally out of the ordinary but certainly an active 5 days of winter weather. /4

Wave sequence is Feb 5-9, not 7-12, my apologies. 1st storm: 6" of snow in a swath from N VA to MD and PA. 2nd storm: light to moderate accumulations in a similar area. The third wave formed in GA on the morning of Feb 7. /5

Don't let the Low in GA distract you from the 28F with a 20kt N wind at Corpus Christi (wind chill of 14) on the morning of the 7th. Oh - and the near freezing temps into the central Gulf Coast. The 1040mb high over WY/CO border means business. /6

Over the next 24 hours, the low deepened to sub 992mb and sat close to the 40/70 "benchmark" by the morning of Feb 8. The 0F surface isotherm is in blue. Impressive E Coast snowstorm with 6-10" from NYC to BOS, 10+ in the interior. 14" snow depth in DC at this point. /7

Not often you see nearly half the country sub-zero but that was the case as residents north of OK to VA woke up on Feb 9. It was even a chilly 31 in Tampa, FL. Arctic air for sure - but the "fun" was still to come. /8

Nothing to see here (AM Feb 10, AM Feb 11) except the coldest morning known in DC: -15 with -21 in suburbs! 1040mb high centered over you with snow pack will do that. At the same time, a 1050mb+ High was building S-wd into Montana. /9

Not to be missed in the previous image from Feb 11 is the 56 and 60F reports by ships off SC coast. Impressive 30-40F thermal gradient (baroclinic zone) that would be important for future blizzard. As the High built south, Medicine Hat, Alberta reported 1063.6mb! /10

By evening of the 11th, the majority of E 2/3 of the nation were in the grips of arctic air. A 1016mb classic "Miller A" type storm was forming in the western Gulf. Also important is the preceding disturbance bringing snow to Mid-Atlantic w/temps in 10s and 20s. /11

Residents from New Orleans to Tallahassee woke up to blowing snow with temperatures in the teens. The 12th is most likely the coldest day known in S TX w/wind chills well below 0. A balmy 11F in Corpus Christi at sunrise. /12

As the snow ended across the central Gulf, the low reorganized off the SE coast in part due to strong thermal gradient (note 73F temp in previous image). Overnight, the low deepens to 988mb and a blizzard unfolds from SC to New England with temps below 10F.

With a blizzard raging at daybreak in the East, the Gulf states experienced bitter cold with a low of -2 in Tallahassee. Gulf effect snow fell in Tampa. 1.9" of snow (record) in Jacksonville. Snow as far south as Ft. Myers - southern extent not broken until Jan '77 /14

Single digit temperatures and howling winds brought dangerous conditions to the N-eastern quadrant of the nation by evening. The low sat off of Nantucket at 966mb. During the 13th, temps in GA struggled to break 10F! /15

When all was done by Valentine's Day, 6+" of snow fell from MS to ME. 12+" buried SC to ME and 24+" brought VA to CT to a standstill. In Cape May, a record of 34" fell. Very impressive coastal amounts in areas that typially struggle to not mix with rain. /16

Some impacts from this time period: 10000s livestock perished; fruit trees, chickens, birds froze to death; hard frost in parts of Cuba (!); ice floes in the Gulf
(!); Port of New Orleans frozen appalachianmagazine.com/2017/01/17/the… /17

Positively, the Boston Herald reported "Weather Bureau is entitled to distinguished consideration for its services. It foretold the widespread disturbance with remarkable accuracy." Love how they refer to it as only a "disturbance". /18

This final blizzard was last gasp as Feb 19-22 offered a significant warm-up with the 30" of snow pack in DC melting to only a trace by Feb 22. While I can't confirm, it's reported that cold was partially responsible for June '99 - '01 recession. /19

Hard to imagine the news coverage of such an arctic outbreak (prolonged with significant snow too!) happening today. Be interesting as well to research if this type of situation could unfold today with how the climate has changed since 1899. /20

So, if people say this cold, snow, etc is unprecedented...point them to 1899 and note that it could be much worse! 21/21