The Halloween blizzard that raged through the Great Lakes
30-50+ cm of snow fell into northern Ontario during the great Halloween blizzard of 1991
Millions of kids from Kansas to Ontario had to trudge through heavy snow to go trick-or-treating on Halloween in 1991.
A once-in-a-generation setup over North America allowed a potent storm to churn out nearly one metre of snow in some communities.
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The atmosphere was primed for a major surprise heading into the final days of Oct. 1991.
An intense nor’easter off the eastern seaboard would cement its own place in weather history with the nickname the Perfect Storm. This sprawling system produced severe winds and some of the roughest seas ever observed in the region.
Farther west, the jet stream dipped straight from the Arctic toward Mexico, allowing frigid air to flood south through Canada and into the United States.
A centre of low pressure developed over southern Texas on Oct. 30 and quickly strengthened as it raced north toward Lake Superior over the next couple of days.
Rich moisture from the Gulf of Mexico followed the system and met with cold air to produce several days of widespread heavy snowfall.
The most intense snow rates fell along a narrow band to the west of the storm’s track, some of which even included thunder and lightning.
Duluth, Minnesota, picked up 93.5 cm for its largest-ever snowstorm, a record which still stands today. Minneapolis reported 71 cm for one of its heftiest snowstorms ever observed.
A particularly sharp snowfall gradient developed over northwestern Ontario. While Thunder Bay only saw 27 cm of accumulation, nearby Armstrong saw more than 70 cm between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. An observer in Whitefish Lake reported 96.4 cm of snow over the course of the storm.
High winds knocked out power to some communities and produced snow drifts several metres tall. Roads were impassable for a time after the storm. Many school systems in the affected areas shut down for several days while crews worked to dig out highways and neighbourhoods.