Wherein illustrator Sterling Hundley recalls the bitter cold spell of 1940.
Old Man Winter feat
Old Man Winter media
A winter dusting in the South can be crippling. On January 23-24 of 1940, central Virginia got much more than that. A fierce storm sent temperatures plunging to a record low of -12 degrees, and nearly two feet of snow fell within a 24-hour period, with drifts of up to four feet. Richmond and the surrounding area was completely incapacitated, and a reported 12 deaths were attributed to the freeze. Even the most hardened locals sought refuge from what would become the coldest winter on the record books. Brrrr!