Highlights Archives
Record-Setting Winter in Wisconsin
Whoa! It's snowing again?! Here in Wisconsin, this winter has been longer, colder, and snowier than many of us can remember. Madison has seen record snowfall, more than 80 inches so far, while Milwaukee's snow totals will likely end up in the top five since record keeping began in the 19th century. All this snow and frigid temperatures have reminded us that we have become indoor creatures, dashing from one warm bubble to the next, unlike our ancestors who spent much more time outdoors. It makes you wonder how people who lived here before us coped with the winter.
Some of the earliest accounts of winter in Wisconsin were written by fur traders who wintered near Lac Court Oreilles in 1659-1660. After severe weather forced them to stop hunting, one of them wrote, "Those that have any life seeketh out for roots, which could not be done without great difficulty, the earth being frozen 2 or 3 feet deep, and the snow 5 or 6 above it."
Twenty years later, associates of the famous French explorer LaSalle made a famous winter trek up the shore of Lake Michigan in 1680, during which the snow blinded them, low temperatures froze their extremities, and crusted snow lacerated their naked feet. Their story was assembled from widely scattered original sources in the March 1924 issue of our online Wisconsin Magazine of History.
These fur traders and explorers were succeeded in the 19th century by permanent settlers, who also wrote about Wisconsin winters. In December 1836, for instance, the first surveyors of Madison "found the snow very deep, and after a hard day's work wading in the snow, we camped at night between the Third Lake (Monona) and Dead Lake (Wingra), where we found some thick timber and a sheltered spot. With a good deal of difficulty we made a log heap fire and eat our snack, and after the fire had thawed the snow and warmed the ground, we removed the fire to a little distance and made our bed on the ashes where the fire had warmed the ground. The weather was extremely cold but we slept warm and the next morning ... the weather extremely cold we returned to Mineral Point to wait for milder weather."
The winter of 1881 was also particularly memorable, recalled by many as the "winter of deep snow" according to historian William A. Titus. "The snowfall was only moderate until February; then it became phenomenal. Day after day and night after night the white blanket piled higher. The valleys were filled and roadways were obliterated. In the woods where the snowfall was undisturbed by the wind, the snow was easily six feet deep. Some of our farm buildings had snow banks against them that reached up on the sloping roofs. The entire population was imprisoned in their homes for weeks, except as they ventured out on snowshoes. The paths from the house to the farm buildings were miniature canyons," Titus recalled.
Climate records were not kept until the mid-19th century. The first systematic observations in Madison were made at the University of Wisconsin's North Hall in the early 1850s. Professors often enlisted the help of students, including the now famed naturalist and UW student, John Muir. More regular records began in 1869 when observers started recording formal readings of temperature and precipitation as well as notes about clouds and ice.
To uncover more winters past, simply enter the word "winter" (or "snow" or "frozen" and so forth) in the search boxes at the Wisconsin Magazine of History's online archives, Wisconsin Historical Collections or Turning Points in Wisconsin History. Find pictures of blizzards and snowstorms in the Wisconsin Historical Images online photo database.
:: Posted February 27, 2008
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