The Blizzard of 1888: When the Children Got Trapped

The 12th of January 1888 dawned uncharacteristically warm across the American Midwest, a stark contrast to the ferocious winter months that the residents were accustomed to. After weeks of bitter cold, that morning provided a wonderful respite as children skipped to school without their heavy winter coats, farmers took advantage of the break in the weather to attend to neglected jobs, and people across the region smiled as the warm sunshine beat down.

And yet, this was but a cruel meteorological trick that would have a devastating effect. While the morning and early afternoon remained unseasonably warm, by mid-afternoon, a swift and brutal arctic front was barreling down from Canada. Within hours, the temperature plummeted, and a blinding snowstorm engulfed the plains. The sudden change caught everyone off guard, transforming the landscape into a white inferno of icy particles and fierce winds.

Had children not been in school at the time and had many of them not left without their winter attire, the consequences would have been very different. By the following morning, 235 people had died across the midwest, many of them children attempting to battle through the snowstorm towards the safety of their own homes. One of the region’s most devastating weather events came and went in less than 12 hours, but left an indelible mark on the area. It became known as the Schoolhouse or Children’s Blizzard.

Winter & The Midwest

Harsh winters were nothing new to the residents of Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Iowa. This region’s geography makes it particularly susceptible to diverse weather phenomena. With few natural barriers to disrupt airflow, cold arctic air from Canada can sweep down freely, smashing into the warm, moist air coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. This mix of air is a perfect recipe for severe weather, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards.

Summers can be oppressively hot, with temperatures soaring above 37 degrees celsius (100 Fahrenheit), while winters are known for their bitter cold, with temperatures that can plummet well below zero.

Historically, the Great Plains have been notorious for their harsh winters. Snowstorms and blizzards are expected, with the flat, open landscape doing little to slow the development or movement of winter storms. Before the advent of advanced meteorological tools, these storms often struck without warning.

The region’s settlers, mainly farmers and ranchers, had to be remarkably resilient, adapting their lifestyles to cope with the unpredictable and often harsh climate. Homes needed to be built to withstand extreme weather, and communities frequently rallied together to help each other through particularly tough seasons.

In the 1880s, much of Great Plains population were immigrant settlers who were relatively inexperienced with the region’s climate’s helter-skelter nature. Many were ill-prepared for the severity of the winters, often lacking the resources or knowledge to adequately predict and respond to severe weather events. The rapid settlement of the region, driven by the promise of fertile land and new opportunities, meant that many communities were still in the early stages of development and lacked robust infrastructure to deal with emergencies.

Warnings

While many might not have been grizzled veterans, those living on the Great Plains had seen how bad winter could be just the previous year.

The winter of 1886-1887 was one of the most severe ever recorded on the Great Plains, wreaking havoc on the region’s economy, environment, and the cattle industry in particular. That winter, often referred to as ‘The Great Die-Up,’ saw extreme cold temperatures and unusually heavy snowfall, resulting in catastrophic losses for the burgeoning cattle industry, which was then crucial to the economy of the American Midwest.

The winter began with early snows in November that blanketed the plains, followed by bitter cold that persisted throughout the season. The temperatures plunged to record lows, and the snow depth made it nearly impossible for cattle to reach the sparse winter grasses. By the end of the winter, up to 90% of the open-range herds had perished in some areas. It seems unlikely that the memory of the previous winter hadn’t remained clearly in most people’s minds, but one year on, a tragedy was about to unfold that would go much further than the cattle industry.

12th January

The morning’s warmth seemed to promise a gentle day. Children in light jackets laughed and played on their way to school, a stark contrast to the heavy garments, frozen limbs, and cautious walks of the weeks before. Teachers opened windows to let in the fresh air, and lessons began with a cheer that only comes with a sunny day.

As the morning progressed into early afternoon, there were few signs of the impending disaster. The sky remained clear, and the air was still — ominous signs that meteorologists today would recognise as precursors to a dramatic shift in weather, but that went unheeded by the 19th-century population.

The change, when it came, was abrupt and fierce. By mid-afternoon, the skies darkened, and the winds shifted. The temperature plummeted dramatically within moments, catching everyone off guard. The cold front’s leading edge was so sharp that within minutes, the mild air was replaced by a frigid gale, the temperatures dropping over 7 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) almost instantaneously in some areas.

People on the Great Plains were used to blizzards that started slowly and built up over time. This was not that kind of blizzard. It struck with immediate brutality that crashed across the region. Visibility dropped to zero as the winds whipped up the snow on the ground, mixing it with heavy snowfall. Roads and paths quickly became impassable, and the landscape turned into a bewildering maze of white.

Carl Saltee, a teenage Norwegian immigrant in Fortier, Minnesota, recalled, “A dark and heavy wall built up around the northwest coming fast, coming like those heavy thunderstorms, like a shot. In a few moments, we had the severest snowstorm I ever saw in my life with a terrible hard wind, like a Hurricane, snow so thick we could not see more than three steps from the door at times.”

Farmers and townspeople out were also caught unprepared. Many were far from home without sufficient clothing to face the freezing temperatures. The normal routes and landscapes they knew well were quickly obscured by the blinding snow, making navigation perilous.

The rapid change in weather left little chance for a safe response. School children were suddenly at risk because classroom temperatures were plummeting and few teachers had thought of bringing firewood in. Teachers faced agonising decisions; whether to send children home in hopes they could make it safely before conditions worsened or keep them in increasingly cold buildings with dwindling fuel supplies. Many chose the first option, and this decision, made with the best intentions under unforeseen circumstances, led to catastrophic outcomes.

Painful Choice

Children, some as young as six years old, now found themselves battling through snow drifts taller than they were in a desperate race to reach the safety of their homes. Many who set out for home never arrived; others suffered severe frostbite and hypothermia, resulting in life-long disabilities.

The blizzard claimed the lives of at least 235 people who became disoriented while trying to find their way home. In one heartbreaking instance, the bodies of two brothers, John and Isaac Steege, were found just metres from their front door in the Dakota Territory, having succumbed to the cold only moments from safety.

The tragedy was horrendous but could have been so much worse. Some of the most poignant tales of that day are those of heroic teachers across the storm-hit region. In many instances, these teachers made life-saving decisions that protected their students. Minnie Freeman, a young school teacher in Nebraska, famously led her seventeen students to safety after the powerful winds ripped off the schoolhouse roof.

Using a rope, she tied all the children together and navigated through the blinding snow to a nearby farmhouse where they found refuge.

Another teacher, Lois Royce, found herself trapped with three students in her schoolhouse in Plainfield, Nebraska. With the building coming apart under the storm, Royce decided to lead them to her home less than 80 metres (90 yards) from their school. Sadly, they quickly became lost, and the children died of hypothermia, with Royce losing her feet to frostbite.

Etta Shattuck, a teacher in South Dakota, survived two nights in the freezing cold after getting lost trying to make her way home. She was found with severe frostbite but, somehow, still alive.

Those who survived the storm spoke of ice pellets that stung their eyes or even froze them shut. With such an amount of snow falling and then being swept through the air, it was as if the sun had already set. With few noticeable physical marks on the open plains, compounded by the relentless white barrage, many staggered on, unsure whether they were even going in the right direction.

One weather station recorded a high of 6 degrees Celsius (44 degrees Fahrenheit) at 2 pm that day. By 9 pm, the temperature had crashed to -23 degrees Celsius (-11 degrees Fahrenheit) and dropped to an overnight low of -41 degrees Celsius (-42 degrees Fahrenheit.) It was a miracle that anybody made it through the night outside.

Aftermath

In the days following the storm, impromptu search parties braved the still-treacherous conditions to dig out those stranded or recover the bodies of the less fortunate.

In retrospect, the meteorological event for the Children’s Blizzard was a classic case of rapid cyclogenesis — the development of a cyclone or storm system — which often leads to severe weather phenomena. A strong area of high pressure had settled over the region, pushing temperatures higher than usual for that time of year. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to those on the Great Plains and the rudimentary weather forecasting capabilities of the time, a powerful arctic cold front was making its way south from Canada.

Today, this is the kind of weather event that would be splashed all over the news days in advance. It would be inconceivable to leave home without the required winter wear, and let’s be honest, we’d probably be advised not even to go outside.

Yet this was the late 19th Century, and we were still far from accurate meteorological predictions that could have saved hundreds of lives.

There has also been some debate about whether the army should have sent out a cold weather warning after picking up foreboding readings in the Rocky Mountains. Even if they had, it’s unclear whether this message could have been relayed to rural communities in time. It was simply a case of terrible luck.

One of the major changes following the blizzard was the enhancement of weather forecasting capabilities and the dissemination of weather information. The U.S. Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service), which was relatively new at the time, recognised the need for more accurate forecasting and timely distribution of weather warnings. Efforts were made to expand the meteorological network and improve telegraphic communications to ensure that warnings could reach even the most remote communities more quickly.

Modifications were also made to construct and design schoolhouses across the Midwest. Features such as reinforced insulation, better heating systems, and emergency provisions became standard. The aim was to make school buildings safer and more comfortable during extreme weather conditions.

There was a significant push to educate children and adults about emergency preparedness, including how to react during sudden storms. Schools began implementing drills and teaching survival strategies for dealing with severe weather, including keeping extra fuel, food, and blankets at school.

The blizzard highlighted the isolation of many rural communities during emergencies. There was a drive to develop more robust community support systems in response. This included establishing more reliable means of transportation and communication between rural areas and larger towns or cities, which could facilitate faster emergency responses when needed.

Two months later, another cataclysmic storm hit the United States. The Great Blizzard of 1888 remains one of the most devastating events in the country’s history. Between 11th March and 14th March, this extraordinary storm paralysed the East Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine with unprecedented snowfall, ferocious winds, and frigid temperatures, killing 400 people and causing more than $25 million ($850 million today) in damage. The blizzard brought cities like New York to a complete standstill and had profound societal impacts, leading to significant changes in urban infrastructure.

The Schoolhouse Blizzard and the Great Blizzard showed how relentless and unpredictable weather patterns could be. Whether you were on the streets of New York City or the plains of Nebraska, storms were deadly and could bring terrifying chaos.

Key Takeaways

• The Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888 struck the American Midwest, killing 235 people, many of whom were children trying to return home from school.
• The blizzard began with an unseasonably warm morning, followed by a sudden, severe arctic front that caught everyone off guard.
• The Great Plains’ geography and lack of natural barriers make it susceptible to extreme weather, including blizzards and severe cold.
• The tragedy led to improvements in weather forecasting, school safety, and emergency preparedness in the Midwest.
• Teachers played heroic roles during the blizzard, with some successfully leading students to safety and others tragically losing their lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What date did the Children’s Blizzard of 1888 occur?

The Children’s Blizzard of 1888 occurred on January 12, 1888.

How many people died during the Children’s Blizzard of 1888?

At least 235 people died during the Children’s Blizzard of 1888.

What caused the sudden and severe weather change during the Children’s Blizzard?

A swift and brutal arctic front from Canada caused the sudden and severe weather change.

What was the temperature change during the Children’s Blizzard?

The temperature plummeted dramatically within moments, dropping over 7 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) almost instantaneously in some areas.

What was the impact of the Children’s Blizzard on weather forecasting?

The U.S. Weather Bureau recognized the need for more accurate forecasting and timely distribution of weather warnings, leading to improvements in meteorological networks and telegraphic communications.

What changes were made to schoolhouses after the Children’s Blizzard?

Schoolhouses were modified to include reinforced insulation, better heating systems, and emergency provisions to make them safer during extreme weather conditions.

What was the winter of 1886-1887 known as?

The winter of 1886-1887 was known as ‘The Great Die-Up,’ due to the extreme cold temperatures and unusually heavy snowfall that resulted in catastrophic losses for the cattle industry.

What was the temperature range in the Great Plains during winter?

Winters in the Great Plains are known for their bitter cold, with temperatures that can plummet well below zero.

What was the impact of the Children’s Blizzard on rural communities?

The blizzard highlighted the isolation of many rural communities during emergencies, leading to a drive to develop more robust community support systems and reliable means of transportation and communication.

What was the Great Blizzard of 1888?

The Great Blizzard of 1888 was a catastrophic storm that hit the East Coast of the United States from March 11th to March 14th, causing unprecedented snowfall, ferocious winds, and frigid temperatures, killing 400 people and causing significant damage.

Sources

• Original Into the Shadows video: The Blizzard of 1888: When the Children Got Trapped
• Hero image source by Emily Allen from Minneapolis, USA / openverse, by.

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