Ten Years Ago We All Dealt With The Blizzard of 2011
I find it difficult to believe, but it was ten years ago today the Blizzard of 2011 blasted the tri-states blanketing the area with one to 2 feet of snow and massive drifting as well.
A wintry mix of snow and sleet spread into Central Missouri near daybreak on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 and the winter precipitation quickly overspread the area into Western Illinois during the late morning.
This winter storm produced quite a range of hazardous winter weather conditions across the area. Heavy snow fell across Central and Northeast Missouri into West-Central Illinois with rates at times exceeding 2 inches per hour. These high snowfall rates combined with strong northwest winds gusting from 35-50 mph produced blizzard conditions with near zero visibility at times. It created "white-outs" and snow drifts of 3 to 5 feet deep.
Total snowfall accumulations in the Hannibal and Quincy area ranged from 14-22 inches. I managed to get myself home, but worried about getting back to the station the next morning. As it turned out, I was the only one to make it to the station the next day.
It was so quiet outside with sunshine dominating the day after and next to no traffic moving in the city. I remember there were so many phone calls to the station that day with cancellations it was hard to keep up with everything. It got to the point that it was just easier to mention what was open rather than what was closed that day.
It’s been ten years now and we have not had any "significant" snowfalls since. That snowfall in 2011 was a snowfall for the ages and one almost everyone around will remember for the rest of their lives.