December 1901 brought a cold wave to the West and Midwest. The Sedalia Democrat reported on the storm’s intensity, noting that a “terrific blizzard raging” through southern Wyoming delayed trains for up to five hours. Western Nebraska and the Black Hills of South Dakota reported six inches of snow and high winds.
Temperatures reached record lows, with Lisbon, N.D., recording 33 degrees below zero. The cold came on suddenly. In Fergus Falls, Minn., the temperature dropped 50 degrees, from 25 above zero to 25 below zero, in 15 hours.
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