blizzard of 1978 rochester ny

The snow fell so quickly, streets and highways were disappeared. This storm was insidious in that it began just five days after a ferocious windstorm that knocked out power to much of the Rochester area. [18][19] Duxbury Beach was hit with 85mph (137km/h) gusts and 93mph (150km/h) in Chatham.[20][21]. The snow started and it didnt stop., Vinnie says his uncle wasnt buried until spring -- there was just too much snow. [3] In many areas in Central and Southern New England, the snow falling at night turned to an icy mix that left a notable layer of solid ice on every external surface. All across the western New York-Southern Ontario region, winds of up to 70 mph eventually created drifts that swallowed houses. "At its peak, the blizzard did make life miserable for . Thank you! Us kids went around to all the neighbors to check on them and Mom kept the wood stove going to heat the house and cook food. Was living on 7th Street Plainfield, NJ at the time. Rochester weather: The biggest snowfalls in local history February 27 - March 3, 1984. All the rest of the vehicles had vansihed under the snow. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Remembering The Blizzard of '78 - Farmers' Almanac Owned and operated 100 acre Dairy Farm, all equiped electrically, milking 50 animals, trying to keep the 750 gallon milk tank running on generator, also some for the house after milking. The cooperative observer station at the Bennetts Bridge power plant, near Altmar, NY, established an official all-time New York State monthly snowfall record with 192" of snowfall in January 1978.[16]. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. But in working-class Buffalo, nobody talks about 1978. 25.8 inches. The Blizzard of 1978: Photos Show the Historic Storm That - Bygonely The combination of high tides and extreme weather resulted in broken sea walls and extensive coastal flooding. The university and all schools closed for the next week, so Tom rode home with Rodney Eiler, another student from Rochester. A usual 15 minute ride turned into 2-1/2 hours, and as myself and another woman got off on the corner of West Utica, we immediately fell into a couple feet of snow. The weekends storm has prompted many comparisons to the Blizzard of 1978. He had just put his last stick in the heater! [1] The third lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United States occurred as the storm passed over Mount Clemens, Michigan, where barometer readings fell to 956.0mb (28.23inHg) on January 26. The wind caused snow drifts as high as the top porches of some houses. During the blizzard of 78, we lived in Ft Wayne,IN which got the storm before it reached New England (where we had lived 10 years before in West Boylston,MA.) But at the same time, the Empire State is absolutely beautiful when it looks like a snowy winter wonderland. DEEP SNOW Elizabeth Alderfer, Rochester, submitted this photo showing above right the front of Torin, now Lau Industries, 510 N. Indiana 25, taken in January 1978 after the blizzard. The one lady and I sat and talked a bit to long because when we were ready to leave, nobodys car would start. Most of our current residents likely remember our epic. But this season was different. I found this very strange until I looked out front and saw my 74 Green VW Beetle completely buried! In 1978, one of the worst blizzards in recent memory crippled the Atlantic seaboard. Glionna left The Times in 2015. Great Blizzard of 1978 - Wikipedia I picked up my mom from work around 11:00 p.m.; we decided not to take the freeway because the wind was starting to blow, although it was still mild enough I did not have on a coat. In Boston alone, more than 3,500 cars were found abandoned, buried in the snow on city streets and highways. We had to go out on our tenants porch and slide down the drifts to get to the store at the corner. The Blizzard of '96: In Retrospect 25 Years Later [7] In addition, the blizzard is the highest-ranking winter storm on the Regional Snowfall Index, with a maximum value of 39.07, and one of only 26 storms to reach Category 5 on the scale. This car was buried in the snow for over a month in Kettering, Ohio, A National Guard snow plow prepares to clear the way in Shelby County, Ohio, Blizzard conditions arrived morning on Jan 26, 1978, Towboat trapped in ice The next day, getting bored with staying indoors, Tom and Billy dug a cave under the snow. Thanks largely to these back-to-back storms, March 1999 was the snowiest March ever in Rochester. Rochester NY Weather: Most memorable March storms - Democrat and Chronicle For them, the Mother of All Storms came earlier, that cruel January ambush known as the Blizzard of 77, with its icy fangs gnashing, its breath frozen. How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? What I remember, that no one else seems to note, is that there was a 6 storm a few days before the Big Blizzard. National Weather Service He covered a large swath of the American West, writing about everything from people to politics. [9] The total effect on transportation in Ohio was described by Major General James C. Clem of the Ohio National Guard as comparable to a nuclear attack. At one point on I-93 north of Boston, a jackknifed tractor trailer blocked traffic in both directions, with a similar event occurring on Route 128 near Route 138 in Canton. Bill was still stranded at RTC. Locally, it started slowly but shut down Rochester on Feb. 7, 1978. This was before the present jail was built. A small giggle my sister, who was very pregnant, got her body stuck in a drift trying to walk to the street her husband had to pull her out:-). This sent water over low land along the shores of Long Island Sound, Cape Cod Bay, and other bodies of water, causing some of the worst recorded coastal flooding. February 7, 2013 / 11:12 AM The precipitation changed to rain on Cape Cod, reducing the total snowfall, but snow continued in the west. Snowplows were also stranded in traffic as the snow continued to fall. The Blizzard dropped 27.1 inches of snow on Boston. The wind blew the snow into 12 ft drifts we lost our power for two days, had a wood stove and plenty of wood and food cooked on a grill outside. 32.7 inches. April 23, 1978 - Salvatore Gingello assassinated via car bomb, after having survived five prior attempted bombings. [3] These Arctic and subtropical jet streams merged (with maximum winds of 150 knots) which led the deepening Gulf low-pressure system, which had moved over Alabama and Georgia, to undergo explosive cyclogenesis and move rapidly northward towards West Virginia during the evening of January 25 (with record low pressures were logged across parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic). Up to 46-69 mph of daily wind gust was recorded in Buffalo with some areas recording a snowfall as high as 100 inches. Yes, I vividly remember the blizzard of 78. Over 5,000 members of the Ohio National Guard were called in to make numerous rescues. Fourteen people died on I-95 near Boston because snow piled high enough to prevent poisonous exhaust fumes from escaping from their idling vehicles. Co. By the next morning there was no way I could even think about getting out of the driveway, and the Gov. Gov. Some spectators spent the next few days living at the arena, eating hot dogs, and sleeping in the bleachers and locker rooms. Governor Otis R. (Doc) Bowen declared a snow emergency for the entire state the morning of the 26th. I felt panic because I couldnt get out of the drift. Falls and heart-attacks caused by snow shoveling were among the other causes of death across the region. DETROIT - It's been 44 years since a powerful blizzard dropped more than a foot of snow in Southeast Michigan, establishing itself as one of the more memorable weather events in recent history.. Thousands of homes throughout coastal Massachusetts were damaged or destroyed, as was "Motif Number 1", in Rockport, an often-painted fisherman's shack renowned in art circles. As you can imagine, it made quite an impression. [2] In Detroit, air pressure fell to 28.34 inches of mercury (960mbar). If you ever get a chance to purchase it from the History Channel you willl see for you self it was a Historical event that will go down in History as one of the biggest and baddest winter snow storms ever. That lady I met that night She honored me, 2 years later, by becoming my wife and we have never been apart since we met, in that bar, that wonderful night! GREECE, N.Y. - The Blizzard of 1966 was a historic storm for Rochester.Dropping nearly 27 inches of snow from January 30-31, winds whipped through the city and shut it down for nearly a week.While . Snow drifts of 10 to 20 feet made travel virtually impossible, stranding an Amtrak train and thousands of vehicles and travelers. Did Freeze my butt off though. On the drive back home it seemed like it was getting colder and colder in the car and I turned on the heat. News 8 Archives: 42 years since Blizzard of '77 - RochesterFirst We cooked on the gas grill and shared the generator with my in-laws next door for electricity. Meteorologists appalled by Nemo, In FBI files, clues about photographers work as an informant, Bush family emails hacked: can happen to anyone, expert says. SabresFan85/YouTube. It is considered one of the worst snowstorms of all time considering the wind gust and the amount of snowfall. Piling up at a speedy rate, the parts of Buffalo nearest to Lake Erie were in particularly bad spots. They had a hard time getting a truck out to the widows home. 1. I lived in Buffalo, New York, during the 1978 blizzard and worked in a downtown department store. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Roads throughout the Northeast were impassable for several days after the storm, and it wasnt unusual to see people getting around on snowshoes or cross country skis. It began during the night of Jan. 25. The storm caused coastal flooding. Upon arriving after a 45-minute walk in waist-deep snow from his home 10 city blocks away, he had to dig down "a foot" to put the key in the front door. We can thank our location for that. The monster storm halted commerce and disrupted lives through the Great Lakes region, with cities from Cleveland to Buffalo to Montreal reporting blizzard conditions. [27], National Guard emergency management center in Boston, National Guardsmen work with local workers and volunteers in Boston. I was living in Pennsylvania about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia. for my son. In 2010, we were hit with a horrible Nor'easter, the likes of which we hadn't seen in years. "Big blow triggers mammoth paralysis, road chaos." ), there's plenty of indoor attractions to check out as well. My friend and I rode our ponies to the store. People had resumed their normal lives by March 1, but light snow continued as crews struggled to clear streets and haul away snow. It blew snow under the doors so we hung blankets over them. Around noon, he was atop a bulldozer, smoothing the frozen turf outside a power substation. Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978, "Pressure Records: The October 2627, 2010 Significant Extratropical Cyclone", "National Overview - October 2012. And of course, thats when the toilet paper ran out and the store was so far away it took all day to climb through the snow to get there and back home again. I watched that county truck hit the drift and his rear wheels came off the ground! Municipal highway departments, their budgets already depleted by a heavy plowing workload in November and December, cried poverty. The Manitou Snowmobile Club called off their winter picnic and helped stranded. Many cars were stranded! It even moved one man to song, as the video above shows. [13] Most suburban districts in the area close for snow several times each winter, but they rarely do in the city itself because of relatively easy access to subways, whose ability to run is not appreciably affected by moderate snowstorms. / CBS NEWS, First published on February 7, 2013 / 11:12 AM. Remembering the Blizzard of 1978 - The Rochester Sentinel The Great Blizzard of 1978 - National Weather Service They went right thru it. The death toll from this epic winter storm rose to over 70 across the region. Well, you should have been around for the terrifying and deadly snow storm that left the city of Buffalo and its surrounding areas completely helpless back in 1977, . Extensive beach erosion occurred on the east coast of Massachusetts. The ground blizzard of 1977 occurred in western New York and southern Ontario between January 28 and February 1, 1977. Buffalo eventually recovered. Thousands of people walked and skied on the quiet city streets and over the frozen Charles River. A good portion of this mammoth snowfall was lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario. Back home we lived on a dead end street and my house is a raised ranch and the snow was plowed to the end of the street and was higher then the roof of my house. People called the jail if they needed medicine or help. A state of emergency was declared after a storm that drops two to three inches of snow an hour ravaged the region. Worst Storms of All Time - The Ground Blizzard of 1977 The next day we found out that the pressure had dropped so fast and to an all time low, large windows (like stores and high rises) were blowing out. I will never forget the Blizzard of 78 here in Ohio! As I hurridly exited the building, in my youth, I heard cries of be carefull out thereit is VERY windy! and soon found out after a few seconds that I needed to run back in the vestibule for shelter. US Dept of Commerce Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Two men died of heart attacks after trying to shovel snow that lay two feet deep. We were still digging out of that when the Big blizzard came along. Buffalonians dont fear snow. I boarded the first bus that travelled straight down Main Street to my stop at West Utica Street. Governor Ella T. Grasso ordered all roads in Connecticut closed except for emergency travel, for three days;[24][25] Governor Michael Dukakis, of Massachusetts, did the same for his state. I lived in Providence,RI. We moved to Texas that summer.had ENOUGH! Of course, if you don't like the low temperatures (we don't blame you! Coming on the heels of an even bigger storm two days earlier, this monster forced the county government to reimpose a state of emergency six hours after the old one was lifted. Sure, Lake Erie may have been frozen over for quite some time. [2] On rare occasions, extra-tropical cyclones with central pressures below 28 inches of mercury or about 95 kPa (950 mb) have been recorded in Wiscasset, Maine (27.9") and Newfoundland (27.76"). Rochester's Worst Winters Storms - Blogger I was in Rochester,NY for that storm(i was onlyl 10 yrs old) but my little brother and i will never forget it. President Carter approved Gov. never did find that tarp. We called the farmer down the road to plow our long-hill driveway with a bulldozer. A good portion of this mammoth snowfall was lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario. Making the snowy conditions even worse, the winds were whipping as well with some gusts hitting . Consider it our little therapy group. Unbelievably he made it but he was promptly came home because he and one co-worker were the only staff that showed up! 2. Wild! During the storm, a cop stopped Vinnie on his way into work. Arm in arm we trudged across the street watching the street light whipping around like a leaf while we ourselves struggled to keep walking through the snow and the high winds. I have a special DVD put out by the History Channel. Well, you should have been around for the terrifying and deadly snow storm that left the city of Buffalo and its surrounding areas completely helpless back in 1977. NWS There wasnt a bottle left on the shelves. I was thankful that I was nursing my son so we didnt have to worry about sterlizing bottles and making formula with no electric! In Indiana schools were closed for as much as three weeks,[13] and the historic state basketball tournament was postponed for 17 days. Rigs were also parked at church parking lots and Wilts on East Ninth Street. Winds reached a record high of 51 miles per hour. The Sentinel reported 11 semi-truck rigs parked at the courthouse parking lot and Madison Street. We received lake effect snow that held us hostage for four days. Some 11,666 college-hockey fans in Boston Garden, then the site of the 26th edition of the annual "Beanpot" college ice hockey tournament, held at the time of the blizzard's outbreak, found weather much different from what they had expected. Two men died of heart attacks while shoveling snow. the restaurant was across the street and they were serving sandwiches. The fierce northeast winds from the stormwith the low-pressure area stalled off the island of Martha's Vineyardcombined with high tides and storm surge, resulting from the storm's low pressure. The undertaker put him on ice until spring came.. The Manitou Snowmobile Club called off their winter picnic and helped stranded motorists and people with medical needs. This is the snowiest Christmas in recorded history for the city. After experiencing several months of below-average temperatures, the western and northern regions of New York were ill-prepared for a massive snow storm. The combination of persistent lake effect and cyclonic snowfalls in January 1978 resulted in several all-time monthly record snowfall totals to the lee of the lower Great Lakes. We can thank our location for that. The storm helped make the winter of 1959-60 the snowiest in local history. That summer Byerline arranged for the widow to get a bigger fuel tank. This mother of all one-day storms forced cancellation of most train service, blocked roads, closed schools, shuttered stores and left coal companies hustling to meet a spike in demand. But they could plow out only a lane and a half on most thoroughfares, so by spring, many cars were missing drivers side mirrors, most of them having been sheared off by passing buses. I remember the wind howled fiercely for three days and three nights. With our western borders lying along the shores of both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, this half of our state has become all too familiar with troublesome snow storms, . OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Seven beautiful women that I had never seen before, in that bar. School was cancelled for six days, a record. Dick and Bea Gilliland took this photo above left of Westside Drive looking west toward Moose Lodge after the Blizzard of 1978. My boys were 6 and 2 at the timehusband had gone 8 miles away to go to work, because he had OT and didnt want to lose the OTtook him 3 days to get home, National Guard was restricting who could be on the roadseven walkingmy brother-in-law brought milk and bread to us on a snowmobile because cars couldnt start or get out on the roads. The winds blew like 70 mph for 3 days straight. We talk of that storm every winter wondering if it could happen again. I was a college student in Kalamazoo Michigan. The Neponset River also flooded I-93 in Milton, causing the highway's complete closure. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. DEEP SNOW Elizabeth Alderfer, Rochester, submitted this photo showing above right - the front of Torin, now Lau Industries, 510 N. Indiana 25, taken in January 1978 after the blizzard. . Atlantic City, N.J. also broke an all-time record with 20 of snow. Dick and Bea Gilliland took this photo above left of Westside Drive looking west toward Moose Lodge after the Blizzard of 1978. photo provided Fortunately, with so many highways closed, there were no traffic-related deaths in Ohio that weekend. Inquiries: Lmonroe@onlyinyourstate.com. On Wednesday, the first mail delivery since the storm hit came via six four-wheel drive trucks hauled in from nearby Rochester. Parts of the New York State Thruway closed, as did local malls and many other businesses. Many of their owners did not make it home for several days, while others died from the cold. I was picked up by my boss who lived one town over and I had to walk a half mile to meet up with him. At 3am, the blizzard produced peak winds of 55mph. Harris, Patricia and Lyon, David. Soepic storms are not uncommon. 18" of snow fell during the entire 24 hour period on Christmas Day 1978 in Rochester, NY. Part of the New York State Thruway was closed, and the stock exchange in New York City shut down as well. 40 miles South of Boston. Great Storm of 1975 - Wikipedia Could Be A Sign From A Loved One, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward, New Brunswick, Quebec, 2022-2023 Canadian Extended Winter Forecast, Gardening by the Moon | Planting Calendar, Groundhog Day: Forecast, Facts, and Folklore, Saint Patrick's Day: History, Folklore, and Ideas, Thanksgiving Day (Recipes, Traditions and Trivia). What about more current extreme weather conditions? Schools and most businesses closed; those that remained open had few customers, as no one could travel. This storm was insidious in that it began just five days after a ferocious windstorm that knocked out power to much of the Rochester area. New York wasn't the only state to be majorly affected by the blizzard of 1977. By day 3 I started to get a little claustrophobic. Remember it well!! I was there !! That snow storm dropped 100 inches of snow on some areas in western New York over the course of four days. I was 16 years old and was out of school for a week as school was cancelled! Boston received a record-breaking 27.1 inches (69cm) of snow; Providence also broke a record, with 27.6 inches (70cm) of snow;[3] Atlantic City broke an all-time storm accumulation, with 20.1 inches (51cm), two Philadelphia suburban towns in Chester County received 20.2 inches (51cm) while the City of Philadelphia received 16.0 inches (41cm). It was reported 100 contractors with frontend loaders were paid by the federal government to dig Indiana out. Snowmobiles became the only mode of transportation. No wonder I moved to California. We reached the turn into the subdivision and sat at the red light where the bank sign was flashing the time/temp.
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