UNDATED -- It was 149 years today that the three-day snowstorm (Jan. 7th-10th, 1873) known as the "Great Blizzard" began in the Midwest, including here in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the day started as a mild day with people active outside.  When the blizzard struck there was a drastic temperature drop.

The storm caused extreme hardship for the pioneers from out east who were not used to the cold and snow.  The National Weather Service says visibility was down to three feet.

1873 Blizzard Marker
Great Blizzard
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Cows suffocated in the deep drifts and trains were stuck for days.  More than 70 people died, and some weren't found until spring.

Conditions were so blinding that in New Ulm a boy who had to cross the street from a barn to his home was found frozen eight miles away.  A rural man and his ox team froze to death just 10 feet from his house.

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The Minnesota Historical Society says temperatures dipped down to 49 degrees below zero with winds up to 75 miles an hour.

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