We know snow, especially lake effect, but this was a killer.
The entire county was shut down for days.
Posted on 02/20/2021 9:41:24 AM PST by buckalfa
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Many, if they were alive 40 years ago this week, can remember exactly where they were and what they saw between Jan. 25 and Jan. 27, 1978.
The most devastating winter storm to ever hit Ohio moved in during the early hours of Jan. 26 and battered the state for three days, breaking records and wreaking havoc on the roads, on homes and even in the skies.
“If you lived through it, you might remember the huge snowdrifts,” said Fox 8 Meteorologist Scott Sabol. “We haven’t had wind chills like that since.”
On Jan. 25, it was rainy and foggy, and the temperatures were in the 30s and 40s, according to the National Weather Service. But the storm was intensifying as it moved north from Gulf of Mexico through the south and eventually to Cleveland early in the morning on Jan. 26.
The temperatures fell nearly 30 degrees in two hours.
The snow wasn’t the biggest issue with the blizzard; it was the wind. That was on top of snow that fell earlier in the month.
Wind gusts hit over 100 miles per hour at times.
Because of the wind, huge snow drifts, some between 20 and 40 feet high, covered roads and runways.
“Weeks before…we had 5 to 10 inches of snow from the [storm] on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9,” said Sabol. “We had a week and a half of a break, another foot of snow fell, and that brought the snow cover close to two feet. So we had between 18 and 24 inches of snow on the ground before the blizzard hit. Then the wind picked up, we added 8 inches on top of that, and that’s what caused those snowdrifts of 20 to 40 feet in many locations. Because of snow on the ground, not so much the snow that fell due to the storm that came through Jan. 25 and 26.”
All major highways and freeways, along with most roads, were closed and the Ohio Turnpike shut down for the first time in history. Air transportation was stopped for the duration of the storm.
In all 70 people were killed, including 51 in Ohio.
“That January,” said Sabol, “was one of those if you lived through it, if you were around then, it’s something we haven’t seen since.”
It was great and epic in New England as well.
A great happening for a kid.
I remember it well. No school for around 10 days. We plowed our driveway and kept stacking the snow in one spot out in the yard Over 20 feet tall and 50 feet in diameter. . There was still snow there first of May.
We were snowed in for 4-5 days and about 3 am a front end loader went down our street.
That was certainly epic. Lived in central Ohio at time (still do), and our farm got socked in pretty bad. Have quite a few stories to tell about it. That blizzard was the best sales promoter for 4WD pickups for sure.
Didn’t know Ohio had one too. In eastern New England we had one in February of ‘78...can’t recall the exact dates. After two days of shoveling I decided to walk a few miles to I-95 to look around. Not a car to be seen.
If its the same one I recall in Michigan, I was in my senior year in high school and my parents were on vacation for a few weeks. We had huge parties which resulted in two three car accidents in front of the house due to snow piles and lack of parking. I spent 15 hours steam cleaning the carpet before my parents returned. Lol ah yes, the good ol days.
I also recall the snowstorm of 1968 here in mid Michigan. We had ten foot snow drifts up to the roof. Never seen a similar snow storm as bad as that one was.
Was a kid when Chicago got hit in 67. Best winter ever!!!
I lived in Youngstown at the time and certainly remember.
Jan. 26 is my oldest daughters birthday. She turned 1 year old in 78 at the start of the blizzard.
Everyone invited showed up (16 people or so including relatives that had to drive 45 mins. in that storm).
My neighbor and I did nothing but dig cars out for days.
Missouri winters of 78 and 79 are memorable. Had to move some cows because the fish died that were in the pond. My friends and I played ‘cow chip’ football on another pond. My uncle lived a mile from his milkbarn but had to drive 6 miles around on the open roads to get to it. Yes, memorable winters.
But now the poor kiddos, unless they can claim the power’s out, are still expected to have their online classes...
It paralyzed the Midwest as well.
Blizzard of ‘79 in Chicago
Yeah it was “climate change” my ass
Used to just call it Winter
That,s not Fair, in the 1970’s we were in the grips of a Devastating Ice AGe brought on by the pollution from our cars and factories, see Time, Spock,ABC,NBC,CBS,...
But bookended on each side of that storm were two of the biggest snowstorms to ever hit New England. On January 20th, Boston recorded 20 inches of powdery snow. It was even called the "storm of the decade"
But not for very long. During Feb 6-7, the Blizzard of '78 (as New Englanders know it) dumped up to four feet of snow and devastated many coastal areas with massive flooding due to the wind-whipped waves that came ashore.
That was quite a winter. I was in high school that year and our teachers all told us that we'd end up going to school through July to make up for all the snow days we had.
But that turned out to be just a schoolyard scare (like the metric system they kept threatening to impose on us). They ended up extending the school day by about an hour and a half to make up for the lost time so we could start our summer vacation on time. But that wasn't done so much for the students, it was the teacher's union that pushed for that measure. Most of that hour and a half was done in the study hall.
I lived in Cambridge at the time.
People were cross country skiing down memorial drive in front of MIT
In short? Yes.
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