H unters taking advantage of the holiday and extremely mild weather were rewarded with an overabundance of waterfowl. Few suspected the weather was about to change. Many businesses and schools were closed due to the Armistice Day holiday and duck hunters were pleased by the opportunity to take to the fields and streams. It had rained overnight and early morning temperatures were in the 50s (Swails, 2005). In the Quad Cities people awoke to balmy temperatures on November 11th. The storm moved approximately 825 miles in a 24 hour period. On the weather maps, note two cold fronts and the broad current of moist warm air. East of the center a broad swath of warm air streamed up the Mississippi Valley. West of the center blizzards raged across South Dakota and a widespread ice storm across Nebraska left hundreds of people impacted by the storm. During the next 6 hours the storm center moved to vicinity of Iowa Falls, Iowa. Initially the system pushed east then it curved northward into the central United States where it would leave a path of icy destruction. Meanwhile pressure was falling over the Pacific Northwest.īy November 10 th the storm system had moved across the Rocky Mountains to redevelop over Trinidad Colorado (Knarr, 1941). On Novemstorm center remained off the Washington coast producing gale force winds. On Novemwinds of 35 to 45 mph caused center span to undulate 3-5 feet and the bridge failed before the center of the storm system reached shore. A four mile an hour breeze could start oscillations in the bridge while stronger breezes often had no effect. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, an engineering wonder, had already acquired the name Galloping Gertie due to its motion in the wind. Until the collapse on Novemt he bridge had been the 3 rd longest suspension span in the world. This longer forecast, which covered 5 days and which was issued twice a week, was based upon upper air pressure data and correlated with past weather patterns (Whitnah, 1961).Ī few days earlier a strong weather system moving into the Pacific Northwest had taken down the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. In 1940 long range forecasting was introduced. For rural communities weather information was limited, but certainly available, since it was common for telephone operators and carriers on rural free delivery mail routes to distribute this information (Whitnah, 1961). In 1938 a “breakfast forecast” was introduced, and predictions were revised four times a day (4 a.m. During the modernization of 1934 card punching of weather data began and phone calls to Weather Bureau offices increased to about 100 phone requests a day for climate information (Whitnah, 1961). Weather Bureau offices in cities like Davenport and Dubuque provided weather observations which were sent to the district offices via teletype.Ī wealth of weather observational records which had been accumulated since the 1800’s were basically underutilized until computers improved the ability to record and retrieve data. Cold wave warnings which were prepared for citrus fruit growers, cranberry, tobacco interests, and iron ore shippers were based upon forecasters recognizing a particular weather pattern and its potential effect. Distribution methods ranged from reports in newspapers, on cards displayed in the lobbies of public buildings, radio broadcasts, or by telegraph. Weather Bureau forecasts, which were issued mid morning and mid evening, were brief and general. There were no satellite images and few upper air observations. In the Midwest the Chicago District issued weather forecasts for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The observations were transmitted via telegraph. Until 1934 the Weather Bureau offices operated 12-15 hours a day with two basic observations taken at 8 a.m. Weather observations, forecasts and warnings were much different in 1940 and so were the ways people received information.
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