Remembering the Spring Blizzard Iowans Will Never Forget [PHOTOS/VIDEO]
As the weather has reminded us the last couple of weeks, it doesn't really matter what the calendar says. This time of the year, you can expect almost anything in Iowa and throughout the Midwest.
If you bring up the topic of Iowa snowstorms or blizzards in the springtime, anyone over the age of 55 will likely immediately bring up what started 49 years ago today.
It was April 8, 1973, when the massive snowstorm began. And it just kept coming. It would snow over a 3-day period, and the white stuff would be accompanied by wind gusts that reached 65 miles-per-hour or more, according to the National Weather Service.
It's interesting to watch these quick National Weather Service loops of the storm.
And oh how it snowed. As you can see by the snowfall estimates below, nearly the entire state felt the storm's impact.
The video below shows the blizzard dropped 20.2 inches in Belle Plaine in Benton County. Dubuque got more than 19 inches of snow, with Cedar Rapids measuring 14.5.
Unfortunately, the storm also included the loss of life. Fourteen Iowans died as a result of the storm along with 200,000 turkeys and at least 100,000 cattle.
The Des Moines Register captured the feelings of Iowans perfectly:
Roadways in Des Moines were littered with vehicles that were stranded in the storm.
The view of Iowa's state capital building wasn't quite as clear following the storm:
Sights like this were common:
Definitely an unusual sight in Iowa in April:
Rare, indeed:
What do you think, 10 feet high on the sides of the road in the picture below? A single-lane road for a time after the storm. That 10-foot estimate is likely too low.
Yes, the April blizzard of 1973 is one for the ages. Here's hoping we don't see another one in any of our lifetimes. Do you have pictures from that remarkable storm? If you do, please share them below.