October 1997 North American storm complex

October 1997 North American storm complex

Snowfall totals map of Eastern Nebraska
Type	Extratropical cyclone, Blizzard, Derecho, Tornado outbreak, Windstorm
Formed	October 23, 1997
Dissipated	October 31, 1997
Lowest pressure	993 mb (29.32 inHg)
Tornadoes confirmed	84 confirmed
Max. rating^1	F3 tornado
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	52 in (130 cm) Palmer Lake, Colorado
Fatalities	13 (snow)
Damage	$50 million (1997 USD)
Power outages	400,000
Areas affected	Eastern two-thirds of North America and adjacent waters
Part of the 1997 North American winter storms ^1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The October 1997 North American storm complex was a blizzard and tornado outbreak that affected the Northwest, Rockies, much of the Midwest and Deep South. 84 tornadoes were confirmed as the system moved eastward across the eastern half of the United States, including four that were rated as F3 on the Fujita scale.^[1]

The storms resulted in 13 deaths (five in Colorado,^[2][3] two each in Nebraska and Illinois, and one each in Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas), and caused power outages and school closings lasting up to a week in affected areas. The event was famously billed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as being a "two-hundred year storm". The wind caused much damage, downing trees and power poles.

Impact

A 400 miles (640 km) stretch of Interstate 80 between Big Springs, Nebraska and Rock Springs, Wyoming was closed, and Interstate 25 was also shut down in Colorado being shut down from Denver southward to the New Mexico border. Interstate 70 was also closed in Colorado from Denver east to the Kansas state line.^[4] Most airline flights at Denver International Airport were cancelled, as 14 inches (36 cm) of snow fell which prompted the airport to shut down,^[5][6] and Colorado governor Roy Romer declared a state of emergency and activated the Colorado National Guard to assist with relief efforts.^[4] 1,600 snowplows were also deployed to clear snow-covered roads. A college football game between Colorado State University and University of Tulsa in Fort Collins was snowed out, and mail service in Denver and Cheyenne, Wyoming was shut down.^[4] Palmer Lake, Colorado recorded 52 inches (130 cm) of snowfall, and Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado received 51 inches (130 cm) of snow.^[2][7] Seven people were killed and two others were injured in Colorado, and around 20,000 cattle and calves died.^[2] Many school districts across Colorado were closed in the aftermath of the winter storm. Wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) caused wind chills between −25–40 °F (−32–4 °C) and snow drifts between 4–10 feet (48–120 in) in the state.^[5]

Nearly $50 million in damages and 300,000 power outages occurred across Nebraska and Iowa.^[8][9] An additional 100,000 power outages were in Colorado, with the majority of the outages centered in Pueblo.^[10]

References

1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; National Climatic Data Center (January 1998). Hinson, Stuart (ed.). "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data. 39 (10). United States Department of Commerce: 1–103. ISSN 0039-1972.
2. National Weather Service (2018). "The Blizzard of 1997 - October 24th - 26th". 21st Anniversary of the Blizzard of '97. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
3. Bitler, Dara (25 October 2022). "25 years later: Monster snow totals in Colorado blizzard of 1997". Fox 31. KDVR. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
4. "Blizzard blasts western Plains". CNN. October 25, 1997. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
5. Reppenhagen, Cory (October 25, 2018). "There was a huge blizzard in Colorado one October, and here's what happened". KUSA. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
6. Spears, Chris (October 24, 2017). "20 Years Ago Today: Front Range Buried In October Blizzard". CBS Colorado. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
7. "Oct. 1997 Blizzard Buried Eastern Colorado 21 Years Ago Today". CBS Colorado. October 25, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
8. Report, KETV Staff (October 25, 2018). "25 years ago: Remembering Omaha's devastating 1997 snowstorm". KETV. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
9. "Photos: Record-breaking snowstorm hits Omaha in October 1997". Omaha World-Herald. February 14, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
10. Brooke, James (October 27, 1997). "A Blizzard Moves Eastward After Hitting East Colorado". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 1, 2023.