The Great Blizzard of 1899, also known as the Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899 and the St. Valentine's Day Blizzard, was an exceptionally severe winter weather event that affected most of the United States, particularly east of the Rocky Mountains. On February 11, Swift Current in present-day Saskatchewan reported a record-high barometric pressure of .

Temperatures and records

For the 1895–2017 period of record: February 1899 was the second-coldest February in the contiguous U.S. (behind only 1936). The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than February 1936. December 1898 through February 1899 was the third-coldest meteorological winter in the contiguous U.S., with the coldest winter occurring in 1978–79 and the second-coldest in 1935–36. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the 1978–79 winter. February 1899 was the coldest February in Kansas, Missouri, and Wyoming. February 1899 was the second-coldest February in Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

The following low temperatures occurred during the last ten days of January and the first three weeks of February. The climate regions are defined by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Northeast

For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northeast climate region: February 1899 was the 18th-coldest February. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest February of 1934. December 1898 through February 1899 was the 24th-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1917–18.

Connecticut Equal 16th-coldest February, 1895–2017. Hartford:

Delaware Ninth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Milford: Millsboro: Newark: all-time record as of December 31, 2006 Seaford: Wilmington: Wyoming: Temperatures not available: Dover, Elsmere, Georgetown, Middletown, New Castle, Smyrna

Maine 28th-coldest February, 1895–2017. Flaggstaff: Gardiner: Kineo: North Bridgton: Portland: Temperatures not available: Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Caribou, Lewiston, Saco, Sanford, South Portland, Westbrook

Maryland Eighth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Annapolis: Baltimore: tied with February 9, 1934, January 29, 1963, January 17, 1982, and January 22, 1984, for all-time record College Park: Frederick: Princess Anne: All-time record tied with January 28, 1987 Hagerstown: Laurel: all-time record for February Solomons: all-time record Temperatures not available: Bowie, Gaithersburg, Salisbury

Massachusetts 25th-coldest February, 1895–2017. Boston: Milton: Worcester:

New Hampshire 33rd-coldest February, 1895–2017. Concord: Grafton: Keene: Nashua: Temperatures not available: Derry, Dover, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Rochester, Salem

New Jersey Eleventh-coldest February, 1895–2017. Atlantic City: Cape May: Trenton:

New York Equal 25th-coldest February, 1895–2017. Albany: Buffalo: New York City - Central Park: Rochester: Watertown: West Point:

Pennsylvania Twelfth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Erie: Hamburg: tied for all-time record for February Harrisburg: all-time record for February Philadelphia: Pittsburgh: all-time record for February Scranton: State College: all-time record Temperatures not available: Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Reading

Rhode Island Fourteenth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Kingston: Providence: not available

Vermont 37th-coldest February, 1895–2017. Burlington: Montpelier: not available Northfield:

Northern Rockies and Plains For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northern Rockies and Plains climate region: February 1899 was the second-coldest February, behind only 1936. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than February 1936. December 1898 through February 1899 was the eighth-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1978–79.

Montana Second-coldest February, 1895–2017. Adel: second-coldest ever Big Timber: Billings (water treatment plant): all-time record Butte: Chinook: Ekalaka: Fort Keogh: Fort Logan: all-time record (as of November 19, 1978) Glasgow: Great Falls: Havre: Helena: Kalispell: Miles City: Missoula: Temperatures not available: Anaconda, Bozeman

Nebraska Second-coldest February, 1895–2017. Alliance: Bridgeport: all-time record for Nebraska, which Oshkosh tied on December 22, 1989 Culbertson: all-time record Hay Springs: all-time record as of July 31, 2012 Imperial: all-time record Kimball: all-time record for February Lincoln: tied for all-time record for February Lodgepole: tied with February 8, 1936, for all-time record North Platte: tied with January 15, 1888, for all-time record Omaha: all-time record for February Scottsbluff: all-time record Springview: tied for all-time record for February Valentine: all-time record for February

North Dakota Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Ashley: tied with February 1, 1893, and February 2, 1905, for second-lowest ever Bismarck: Bottineau: Dickinson: Fargo: Grand Forks: Jamestown: Minnewaukan: all-time record Minot: Mohall: tied with March 14, 1897, and February 9, 1900, for all-time record Williston: Temperatures not available: Mandan, West Fargo

South Dakota Second-coldest February, 1895–2017. Aberdeen: Alexandria: tied with February 2, 1905, and January 13, 1916, for second-lowest ever and tied for all-time record for February Bowdle: all-time record as of April 30, 1944 Brookings: tied with January 12, 1912, for all-time record Camp Crook: De Smet: second-lowest ever and all-time record for February Flandreau: all-time record for February Forestburg: all-time record Highmore: Hot Springs: tied with January 11, 1909, for all-time record Howard: tied with February 2, 1917, for all-time record for February Huron: all-time record for February Kennebec: all-time record LaDelle: tied with January 12, 1912, for all-time record (as of October 27, 1974) Mitchell: tied with February 2, 1905, for second-lowest ever (as of March 31, 2003) Oelrichs: all-time record Pierre: Rapid City: Sioux Falls: all-time record Spearfish: Watertown: tied for all-time record for February Wentworth: all-time record (as of August 14, 2006) Wessington Springs: all-time record Yankton: Temperatures not available: Vermillion

Wyoming Coldest February, 1895–2017. Basin: all-time record Cheyenne: Evanston: Laramie: Lovell: all-time record Sheridan: Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth Hot Springs: tied for all-time record for February Temperatures not available: Casper, Gillette, Green River, Jackson, Riverton, Rock Springs

Northwest For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Northwest climate region: February 1899 was the 13th-coldest February. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest February of 1929. December 1898 through February 1899 was the 19th-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1948–49.

Idaho Nineteenth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Boise: Idaho Falls: Lewiston: Riggins: all-time record for February Temperatures not available: Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Meridian, Nampa, Post Falls, Twin Falls

Oregon Fourteenth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Corvallis: all-time record for February Eugene: Hillsboro/Forest Grove: Portland: Salem: Temperatures not available: Beaverton, Bend, Gresham, Medford, Springfield

Washington Equal eleventh-coldest February, 1895–2017. Pullman: Seattle: Spokane: Tacoma: Tri-Cities: Vancouver: Temperatures not available: Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Yakima

Ohio Valley For the 1895–2017 period of record in the Ohio Valley climate region: February 1899 was the equal third-coldest February alongside 1905, with the coldest being 1978 and the second-coldest 1895. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than February 1978. December 1898 through February 1899 was the ninth-coldest meteorological winter. The average temperature was , which was colder than the 1895–2017 average of and warmer than the coldest winter of 1977–78.

Illinois Sixth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Albion: all-time record as of December 31, 2006 Aurora: Champaign: tied with February 13, 1905, January 19, 1994, and January 5, 1999, for all-time record Chicago: all-time record for February Elgin: Fairfield: all-time record for February Joliet: Mt. Vernon: tied with February 10, 1982, for all-time record Nashville: tied with December 22, 1989, for all-time record Ottawa: tied for all-time record for February Palestine: all-time record Peoria: Sparta: all-time record as of December 31, 2006 Springfield: Temperatures not available: Cicero, Naperville, Rockford, Waukegan

Indiana Equal seventh-coldest February, 1895–2017. Anderson: all-time record for February Angola: all-time record for February Bloomington: all-time record for February Columbus: tied with January 13, 1912, for all-time record Evansville: Fort Wayne: all-time record for February Hammond: Indianapolis: Lafayette: Oolitic: tied for all-time record for February Shelbyville: all-time record for February South Bend: all-time record for February Vincennes: tied with February 2, 1951, for all-time record Washington: tied with December 22–23, 1989, for all-time record Temperatures not available: Carmel, Fishers, Gary

Kentucky Third-coldest February, 1895–2017. Ashland: tied for all-time record for February Bowling Green: Georgetown: (short period of record: 1896–1902) Henderson: Hopkinsville: Lexington: all-time record for February Louisville: Maysville: all-time record for February Owensboro: Richmond: Temperatures not available: Covington, Florence

Missouri Coldest February, 1895–2017. Bowling Green: all-time record Columbia: all-time record Caruthersville: all-time record Jefferson City: all-time record Kansas City: all-time record for February Marble Hill: all-time record Maryville: tied for all-time record for February Oregon: second-lowest ever Poplar Bluff: all-time record Sedalia: all-time record Springfield: all-time record St. Charles: St. Louis: Warrensburg: tied with February 13, 1905, for all-time record Temperatures not available: Independence, Lee's Summit, St. Joseph, St. Peters

Ohio Tenth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Akron: all-time record for February Bellefontaine: all-time record for February Canton: Celina: all-time record Cincinnati: all-time record for February Circleville: all-time record for February Cleveland: Columbus: all-time record for February Dayton: all-time record Hillsboro: all-time record McArthur: all-time record (as of February 28, 1935) McConnellsville: all-time record for February (as of March 31, 2012) Milligan: all-time record for Ohio Napoleon: all-time record for February Portsmouth: all-time record for February Toledo: Waverly: all-time record for February Zanesville: all-time record for February Temperatures not available: Lorain, Parma, Youngstown

Tennessee Fourth-coldest February, 1895–2017. Carthage: all-time record for February Chattanooga: tied with January 31, 1966, and January 21, 1985, for all-time record Clarksville: all-time record for February Elizabethton: all-time record for February Franklin: all-time record for February Jackson: Knoxville: tied for all-time record for February McMinnville: all-time record Memphis: