One of the worst blizzards in U.S. History happened in March of 1888. In fact, it's referred to as "The Great Blizzard". Snow pounded the east coast from March 12-14, dropping 20-60 inches of snow in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Sustained winds of 45 mph created snowdrifts more than 50 feet high. If the snow wasn't bad enough, a record low temperature for March of 6° F was recorded during the blizzard. More than 400 people lost their lives.
Easter Sunday, April 13, 1873, began as a pleasant day in southeast Nebraska. But rain started that afternoon and temperatures dropped. During the night, the wind howled and by morning, 18 inches of heavy, wet snow had fallen. The storm raged for two more days, finally abating on Wednesday, April 17. Drifts as high as 20 feet had accumulated in some areas. Many people perished, including a woman with an infant that died just feet from her home, along with thousands of head of livestock.
In January, 1888, a massive cold air mass with a spread of over 780 miles, moved into the States from Canada. The temperature on the front end of the cold front in some places dropped from above freezing to -20°F in just hours. The storm was extremely fast moving, striking Montana in the early morning hours of January 12, swept through Dakota Territory and was in Nebraska by mid-afternoon of that same day. Because of the warm spell preceding the storm and the swiftness with which it moved, many people were caught off-guard. The strong winds and powdery snow made for zero visibility in many areas. That, combined with bitter cold temperatures and high winds, resulted in a death toll of 235.
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A group of authors got together and decided to create a series loosely based on two of these terrible storms. The Easter Blizzard and the Schoolhouse Blizzard. The graphic below lists the books that are coming out in 2020. Mine is releasing in 2021 and I will do a cover reveal soon!
Welcome to Last Chance, Nebraska!
When the freak blizzard of 1878 kills most of the men in a small Nebraska town, what does it mean for the surviving women and children?
Realizing they need to find men of honor to help rebuild, the women place an advertisement in the Matrimonial Times.
Choosing a husband is more difficult than they thought, when there is an overwhelming response to the ad. Will these Blizzard Brides find the second chance at love in a town called Last Chance?
This story is loosely based on the Blizzard of 1873 and the Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888, where many men, women and children died in the unexpected storm.
This is a multi-author project featuring: Christine Sterling, Patricia PACJAC Carroll, Lynn Donovan, Cat Cahill, Laura Ashwood, Parker J. Cole, Marianne Spitzer, Heather Blanton and Marlene Bierworth.
I’m looking forward to read this series.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good series. I'll be watching for your book, Laura! There was a terrible winter in Montana in, if I remember correctly, 1867 and most of the cattle froze. It followed a severe summer drought.
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