If 1975 is known for its extreme weather events in Omaha, 1936 also deserves its rightful place in the sun. 1936 could be called the "Year of Extremes" for Omaha, as the coldest month in Omaha's history occurred in February, then the hottest month on record happened in July. However, there is another month that broke a record in 1936, January.
Over 2' of snow fell in the month, making it the snowiest January on record. Half of that came from one big snowstorm. In this installment of This Week in Weather History, we look back at the month Omaha was buried in snow, January 1936. This article will also look in detail at the major winter storm to hit in the middle of the month.
JANUARY 1936 AS A WHOLE
Besides the big snowstorm from the 15th to the 19th, much of the snow that fell in Omaha during January was smaller snowfalls that added up. Of the 31 days of the month, 14 of them had measurable snowfall above a trace. If you account for the 7 times Omaha recorded a "trace" of snow, sometimes unreliable to if it snowed or not, then the number would rise to 21 days out of the month!
The reason for the large snow amounts was the abundance of cold air, particularly towards the end of the month when temperatures dropped below zero. This was the beginning of the cold snap that would consume Omaha through February, and which you can read about in this earlier installment of This Week in Weather History.
JANUARY 15-19 SNOWSTORM
By far the largest snowstorm in January 1936 was the snow that fell in the middle of the month, putting over a foot of snow on the ground in Omaha. The storm responsible for putting down this much snow was two low-pressure systems that followed each other like trains on a track. The first one brought 6" of snow on January 15-16th, and the second one brought 8" of snow on the 17-18th. When combined, over a foot of snow fell in a corridor from Columbus through southwest Iowa, with the highest totals being in southwest Iowa.
Since the snow fell over a several-day period, impacts on Omaha residents were not that significant. The exception was the heavier snow on the 17th, which brought traffic to a standstill at times.
Planes were grounded at airports, trains, and buses ran behind schedule, and cars were abandoned on the roads. One of the worst roads was Dodge Street, which became a parking lot near 30th St.
Because it was a weekend, many children were able to get out and play in the snow. The snow also led to some pretty scenes across Omaha, particularly in parks.
Outside of Omaha, the snow brought many rural communities to a standstill. Mail carriers were hampered in the snow, leading to some residents not receiving mail for days. Social events, such as weddings, saw decreased attendance as people couldn't leave their homes.
These issues only got worse as January wore on, and reached their peak in February as Nebraska and Iowa were plunged into the coldest month seen in both states. The snow would continue to pile up, and residents prayed for relief.
