January 1940 was coldest ever

By Jim Bradshaw
jhbradshaw@bellsouth.net

orecasters say we can expect some of the coldest weather in more than a decade at the end of this week and into the weekend, but Old Man Winter will have to work some to beat the bleak, blizzardy January of 1940.

That was not only the coldest January ever for much of Acadiana, it was the coldest of any of the months that many of us have ever suffered through. It also began a year in which Acadiana suffered one of its worst floods in history and one that ended up being the coldest year recorded in the 100 years-plus that records have been kept in these parts.

Long-time records show that January is the month that we are most likely to see significant cold snaps in Acadiana.

The average temperature for January 1940 at Lafayette was only 40.4 degrees, more than 12 degrees below the 100-year norm. The average low temperature was 29.7 degrees, also more than 12 degrees below the norm.

The weather wasn’t quite as cold for some of the parishes to the south. February 1905 still holds the record as the coldest month in Abbeville (45.5), Grand Coteau (45.0), Jennings (44.2), New Iberia (46.4), Opelousas (43.3) and Rayne (45.4). The average low at Lafayette for February 1905 was 44.0 degrees.

Lafayette records show that the temperature dropped below 32 degrees on 22 of the 31 nights during January 1940, including 17 consecutive nights beginning on January 15. The mercury fell into the teens on five nights during the month.

The weather induced or worsened one a flu outbreak that took several lives in Acadiana.

The Associated Press reported on Jan. 19, 1940, “Near zero weather tonight was predicted for the northern portions of Louisiana and Mississippi as intense cold descended upon both states, turning highways into dangerous arteries of travel and contributing to death in at least one city. … Fourteen degrees above zero was the prediction for the coastal areas of both states tonight as snow from yesterday and last night still blanketed large areas.”

In Lafayette, the newspaper reported on Jan. 19 that “all filling stations in the city reported a rushing business as motorists began pouring in for anti-freeze fluid for their cars. Driving was dangerous about the city … for vision was poor due to the rain and sleet freezing on windshields. … Many crashes were caused at intersections where brakes proved of little value on the slippery streets.”

The next day’s report was hardly better: “Ice over the streets, which partially melted Friday froze again last night, making driving and walking dangerous.” Plumbers reported broken pipes all across Acadiana. Lafayette officials sent out an urgent plea for residents to shut off their water lines. Broken pipes and folks running water to keep the pipes clear reduced the water pressure to “a mere trickle,” leaving insufficient water to fight fires.

Snow fell on the morning of Jan. 22. The Associated Press reported that “except in the coastal regions, Louisiana and Mississippi … are mantled in the heaviest snow in years, measuring from one to 13 inches. “

Plants took a beating. E.A. McIlhenny reported “incalculable damage” to the famed Jungle Gardens at Avery Island. He said he lost $100,000 in camellias alone and that ice accumulations broke many limbs on the island’s huge oak trees.

Cattle froze on the prairie and cattlemen rushed to get hay to the survivors.

Toward the end of the month, blocks of ice floating down the Mississippi River halted navigation. As late as Feb. 1, R. G. Lovette, chief of the New Orleans district of the Corps of Engineers, reported “solid cakes of ice varying from four inches to 18 inches in thickness and some blocks 15 to 20 feet wide were as far down as Plaquemines,” drifting south at one mile an hour.

The Weather Bureau’s Monthly Weather Review said there were also ice blocks on the Atchafalaya in late January 1940.

A quick survey of Lafayette weather records shows that there have been 875 days in November, December, January, or February between 1899 and 2009 in which the temperature has fallen to 29 degrees or below. That’s an average of 14.9 hard freezes each year during the 120 days from Nov. 1 to Feb. 28.

Six winters tied for the lead with 19 days in which the mercury dropped below 29. They were the winters of 1903-1904, 1916-1917, 1917-1918, 1929-1930, 1939-1940, and 1962-1963. The winter of 1995-1996 saw 18 hard freezes; 1901-1902 saw 17; and 1959-1960 and 1983-1984 had 16 each.

January led in frozen mornings during those years with 363 and 261 of the hard freeze days were in December.

Ten Coldest Months Ever at Lafayette
(Average Temperature)

40.4º  January 1940
41.9º  January 1897
42.1º  January 1918
43.6º  February 1895
43.9º  January 1977
44.0º  February 1905
44.4º  January 1978
44.4º  December 1989
44.8º  February 1899
44.9º  December 1963

Pullout
Some Cold Days in Acadiana
(Lafayette records)

6º  Feb. 13, 1899
9º  Dec. 23, 1989
10º  Jan. 12, 1918, Jan. 11, 1982
11º  Jan. 13, 1918, Dec. 24, 1989
12º  Feb. 8, 1895, Feb. 12, 1899, Jan. 11, 1962, Dec. 25, 1983
13º  Feb. 3, 1951, Jan. 12, 1962, Jan. 21, 1985
14º  Feb. 14, 1899, Feb. 14, 1905, Dec. 30, 1917, Jan. 19, 1940, Jan. 24, 1948, Feb. 2, 1951, Jan. 10, 1962
15º  Dec. 13, 1962, Jan. 24, 1963, Jan. 10, 1982, December 24, 1983