Astronomy Picture of the Day - The Upper Michigan Blizzard of 1938

NASA ^ | 21 Jan, 2024 | Image Credit: Bill Brinkman; Courtesy: Paula Rocco

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Yes, but can your blizzard do this? In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan's Storm of the Century in 1938, some snow drifts reached the level of utility poles. Nearly a meter of new and unexpected snow fell over two days in a storm that started 86 years ago this week. As snow fell and gale-force winds piled snow to surreal heights, many roads became not only impassable but unplowable; people became stranded, cars, school buses and a train became mired, and even a dangerous fire raged. Two people were killed and some students were forced to spend several consecutive days at school. The featured image was taken by a local resident soon after the storm. Although all of this snow eventually melted, repeated snow storms like this help build lasting glaciers in snowy regions of our planet Earth.

[MtnClimber]

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[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[No name given]

Whoa.

[ComputerGuy]

Thank goodness there’s no chance of that happening in today’s warm climate.

[telescope115]

Wow, that’s just crazy. God forbid it should ever happen again…

[telescope115]

But (And this is directed at NASA), what does it have to do with astronomy?

[Big Red Badger]

But It Melted...
Ha!

[Rappini]

Thanks for reminding me of my Birthday this year, /s.

[econjack]

Most telephone poles are taller than this...

[verum ago]

But (And this is directed at NASA), what does it have to do with astronomy?

Nothing. I came to peace with this some time ago. The APoD does seem to stray at times into NWS/NOAA territory, but I can't say I particularly mind: when it does, it tends to be interesting.

I'd rather see this photo then yet-another-globular-cluster myself.

But yeah, they might need to drop the 'A' in 'APoD'.



Now that I think of it, NWS should do a weather photo of the day. That'd be pretty neat.

[Pontiac]

Thank goodness there’s no chance of that happening in today’s warm climate.

I will assume that is sarcasm because this blizzard is less than 100 years ago and the Blizzard of 78 was less than 50 years ago.

Both of which are a blink in the time in terns of climate.

[MikelTackNailer]

Isn’t this more about how the Upper Peninsulans became ‘the Yoopers”, forever different and ostracized from both Canada and America; too terrifying to yet be portrayed in even the most extreme horror movies?

[Pontiac]

But (And this is directed at NASA), what does it have to do with astronomy?

Nothing. I came to peace with this some time ago.

Sure it does.

Most of weather is caused by the variability of the Sun and variations in the orbit of the Earth caused by the Earth’s neighboring gas giants.

[telescope115]

Yeah, it would be neat for the NWS.

I get suspicious of NASA sometimes, thinking they have a political angle to something.

[MikelTackNailer]

Stop confusing people with the facts while there's big money and power to be gained from making a crisis out of a non-alterable event.

Or did you not get Al Gore's Happy Green Holiday card? Weather in the Devos hotels is reported to be excellent with strong prostitutes with after rains of dresser cash.

[Mean Daddy]

We stayed at the Sand Hills Lighthouse B&B on Lake Superior by Ahmeek,MI back in 1996 and the owner showed s pics of the front of the lighthouse covered in ice plus 15’ snow drifts. Don’t think I could handle that type of weather.

[verum ago]

Sure it does.

Most of weather is caused by the variability of the Sun and variations in the orbit of the Earth caused by the Earth’s neighboring gas giants.

No, it doesn't. Please kindly predict a storm like this based on Jupiter's position and the sunspot cycle.

I would 100% agree with the above if you struck the word "weather" and replaced it with "climate". Otherwise, I would challenge you to predict a storm like that featured in this APOD based on planetary position and solar cycles.

[Pontiac]

I am sure that all of the private jets flying in to Devi’s are powered by renewables.

I have faith.

Oh, and just Incase anyone cares

I love Big Brother.

[Vaduz]

Trees in the distance look ok guess it’s a scattered snow storm happens a lot in Michigan.

Lived on the west coast of Michigan for a while the lake effect could be mean at times.