Blizzard on Thanksgiving

Okay I’ve shared some articles from genealogybank.com on politicians and families gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday. I thought the next interesting and easy articles for most of us to relate to is the weather during the holiday. We never know from one year to the next if we will face temperatures in the 60’s or rain, sleet and the dreaded snow or worse yet a “blizzard.” Some things might have changed over the years in how we celebrate the holiday but one thing is consistent and that’s the concern of the weather and travel. 

Worchester Daily Spy from Worcester, MA

November 28, 1889

A STORMY THANKSGIVING

THE WEATHER MAN PREDICTS

A BIG BLIZZARD.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE WEATHER MAP LIKE THAT OF A YEAR AGO LAST MARCH – LOSS OF LIFE ON THE LAKES. 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 – The following special bulletin has been issued by the signal office:

A general storm now prevails over the country east of the Mississippi, with gales on the Lakes and a cold wave advancing form the northwest, which will cover the Ohio valley tonight and Thursday.  The rain will turn to snow in western New York, western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana tonight and Thursday, with decided prospects of interruption to telegraphic communication in these sectional and interference with railway travel. These conditions will probably move east ward Thursday, with possible increasing severity.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 – Midnight – The storm has remained nearly stationary, but has increased greatly in intensity, and the danger from the gales on the lakes will be much enhanced by the asvere character of the cold wave. Heavy gales will also prevail on the New England and Middle Atlantic coasts. The rain has already turned to snow in Indiana, and the change will progress much farther to the eastward during tonight and Thursday.

Lieut. Thompson, the indications officer at the signal service bureau, said tonight that the weather map resembles the conditions more closely than he has ever known before, that existing on the night preceding that great blizzard last March, a year ago. Out in Dakota the thermometer is already down 14* below zero, and he says that it will go away down, possibly 25* or more tonight. The rainstorm in the locality will stop the cold wave for a time, but after wards the people will have to look out. He things that will be little snow south as far as Washington, and that there may be heavy frost in the north and west.

 MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 27. – A light fall of snow has been in progress during the day and still continues tonight. The weather is otherwise mild. A dispatch from Litchfield, Minn., says that a genuine blizzard set in there this morning. The snow has fallen to the depth of three inches, and is drifting badly. The weather is quite cold and disagreeable. Buffalo, Minn., reports a heavy storm this morning, which at 8 o’clock had reached a depth of six inches, when it changed into rain and sleet.

TORONTO, Nov. 27 – The gale form the southeast that has raged all day is creating sad havoc to shipping on the lake and along the water front. A very heavy sea is rolling and the breakers are the highest ever known to the oldest lake mariners. A dispatch received here tonight form Port Credit says the schooner. Attandal is ashore near there and that several lives have been lost.

CANAJOHARIE, N.Y., Nov. 27. – The Mohawk valley is several inches under snow tonight with prospects of a fair sleighing for Thanksgiving. 

Anaconda Standard from Anaconda, MT

November 14, 1901

FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

CITIZENS ARE PREPARING ALL MANNER OF AMUSEMENTS

PLENTY OF SNOW WANTED

School Children Will Have Their Regular ?? – Athletes Arranging for a Football Game – Other Things.

Thanksgiving day is rapidly approaching and already preparations are being made for its observance. No matter what other important events claim their attention, citizens always find time to plan amusements for the day. The boys and girls are anticipating some of the pleasures in store for them while their older brothers and sisters are equally enthused at the prospects of Thanksgiving football games and dances. There is one feature of an Anaconda Thanksgiving that causes some exaltation in preparing for the various amusements. No one can be sure as to the kind of weather that will prevail. Cold, gray, skies, and just enough snow to make it feel wintery is the ideal weather prescribed for the day, and while such conditions have been known to exist on Thanksgiving day hereabouts it is just as likely to be warm as cold.

According to modern custom no Thanksgiving is complete without a football game. This custom has been followed in Aanaconda, the weather permitting, though one year, when winter refused to make its appearance until the time scheduled for spring, a game of baseball was substituted.

The school children will not have a vacation on the day following Thanksgiving as former years. The school board decided that question some time ago In order to compensate the pupils for the loss of the extra day, most of the teachers in the public schools are preparing programs for the afternoon preceding Thanksgiving day. Naturally the story of the Pilgrims, their trials and tribulations will form the principal features of the programmers. In the High school an entertainment of some length will be given. What the exact nature of it will be has not been announced, but those who are preparing it promise to present something out of the ordinary. The athletes are hoping that the day will be cold enough to warrant a football game, while the bowlers are of the opinion that several excellent contests can ?? Market men are also preparing and orders for hundreds of turkeys have already been sent in. There will be no lack of dancing parties and the like and the young folks need have no fear that the day will be an uninteresting one. The charity organizations are making arraignments to distribute turkeys so that no person in the city will have to abstain from that dish on the 28^th.