1970: Double-barreled storm brings snow and thunderstorms

A double-barreled autumn storm hurled snow over the northern Midwest and unleashed violent thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast on November 20, 1970. 5" of snow fell in Rochester, MN. 4” fell in Mason City, IA. Heavy snow and drove temperatures to near 0 along the Canadian border. Up to 10” of snow blanketed Cut Bank, MT where the mercury sank to 3 above zero at midnight. Blowing and drifting snow hampered travel in eastern Washington and northern Oregon. Meanwhile, high winds in western New York State caused window breakage and widespread power outages. In the Buffalo area, winds felled trees and electrical wires. Three radio stations in Buffalo suffered a 32-minute interruption of service. One person was hospitalized after being struck by an up-rooted tree. Wind driven waves from Lake Erie spilled onto Route 5 in Athol. Seneca Falls was without power for 2 hours. A severe thunderstorm watch involved portions of a half-dozen states from Kentucky to Georgia. Funnel clouds were sighted during the night at two locations in the Memphis area. Hail pelted Evansville, IN. Tornadoes skipped across parts of Arkansas causing considerable damage, and 16 persons were hospitalized when a tornado swept through Moro and Oak Forest, AR in Lee County.

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