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The winter of 1976-77: the temperature did not get above freezing
WGN ^ | 1/4/21 | Tom Skilling

Posted on 02/19/2025 9:12:49 AM PST by DallasBiff

Dear Tom,

In the winter of 1976-77 there were 43 consecutive days where the temperature did not get above freezing. Any details?

Thanks, Bob Moser Oak Park

Dear Bob,

Here are the hard, cold facts. In 1976, the temperature dropped below freezing at 1 p.m. on Dec. 27 and remained below freezing for 1,053 consecutive hours before reaching 32 degrees at 10 a.m. on Feb. 9, 1977. That streak translated into 43 days and 21 subfreezing hours. The highest temperatures observed during that prolonged cold spell were a trio of 31-degree highs on Feb. 2-4. There were also 17 days with subzero low temperatures during that period. The coldest day was Jan. 16 with a high of minus 7 and a low of minus 19. The streak finally ended with a flourish of warmth on Feb. 9, with a high of 42 degrees, 47 the next day and a “balmy” 53 on Feb. 11.

(Excerpt) Read more at wgntv.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Weather
KEYWORDS: arcticblast; chicago; coldweather; polarvortex; subfreezing; subzero
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Having a cold snap in TX/OK, and the media is going crazy.

Remember that winter well, only a couple of snow days, otherwise I trudged getting to school, no virtual school days back then.

1 posted on 02/19/2025 9:12:49 AM PST by DallasBiff
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To: DallasBiff

For those who don’t know, this is about Chicago ...


2 posted on 02/19/2025 9:15:54 AM PST by Blueflag (To not carry is to choose to be defenseless.)
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To: DallasBiff

If you needed evidence of globull warming -— AJ ducks at rotten tomatoes being thrown his way.


3 posted on 02/19/2025 9:17:49 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: DallasBiff

That was the year our snow got so high I walked up onto our first story rooftop.


4 posted on 02/19/2025 9:17:59 AM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: DallasBiff

In the winter of 1996-1997, temperatures in Fargo ND did not get above about a -5 (or -10) for about a month. The lows were at least -20.


5 posted on 02/19/2025 9:18:16 AM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: DallasBiff
Having a cold snap in TX/OK, and the media is going crazy.

The weather services have issued an "Extreme Cold Warning," as if we wouldn't notice unless they told us.

I can't ever remember anyone making such a big deal of cold weather IN WINTER while I was growing up. It was just cold, and we expected this and dealt with it.

6 posted on 02/19/2025 9:18:22 AM PST by fwdude (Why is there a "far/radical right," but damned if they'll admit that there is a far/radical left?)
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To: Blueflag
Pffft. That same year Minneapolis had 10 straight days of never getting above 0f.

The car washes used to be packed whenever it was sunny and 25f..

7 posted on 02/19/2025 9:19:18 AM PST by Ikeon ( Why don't they, do what they say? Say what they mean? One thing leads to another. )
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To: DallasBiff

Yes. I remember that.


8 posted on 02/19/2025 9:20:19 AM PST by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump)
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To: DallasBiff

And then the next year was the Blizzard of ‘78. I still have papers from that one telling the stories of at least one trucker who passed away after they parked under an interstate overpass and the snow drifts blocked it enough that he died from CO poisoning.


9 posted on 02/19/2025 9:20:54 AM PST by reed13k
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To: fwdude

Supposed to be in the 70s here by Monday.


10 posted on 02/19/2025 9:21:45 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: DallasBiff

Yep. Around southern Indiana everyone forgets 76-77 because 77-78 had the big blizzard.

but 76-77 was even colder. I remember my dad (I was maybe 12) having to crawl under the house in -temps. It was so cold our water lines and especially hot water heating system pipes would freeze-expand—rupture then leak.

He would have to re-solder or replace each joint. Happened like 2-3 times.

I’m Almost sure it’s still the coldest winter in recorded history in Indiana(average temps).


11 posted on 02/19/2025 9:22:36 AM PST by Phoenix8
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To: Blueflag

We had the same or more in Wisconsin. Still walked to and from school every day, mile and half each way. Small town Wisconsin, no one thought twice about it.


12 posted on 02/19/2025 9:22:47 AM PST by foundedonpurpose (Praise Hashem, for his restoration of all things! )
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To: fwdude

>It was just cold, and we expected this and dealt with it.<

And in the 40’s, we welcomed it and the time we could be outside on sleds and ice skating....SNOW DAYS - off school!!


13 posted on 02/19/2025 9:24:26 AM PST by Thank You Rush ( )
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To: DallasBiff
Looks like I’ll be WFH the rest of this week. Drivers in DFW are the worst, I see no reason to navigate traffic to and from downtown.

I paid my dues in cold weather regions: 4 years each in Spokane and Germany.

14 posted on 02/19/2025 9:36:45 AM PST by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: Blueflag

Thanks.

I wish people would just put that information in right off the bat.


15 posted on 02/19/2025 9:41:04 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: Maine Mariner

The Blizzard of ‘77 for Buffalo.


16 posted on 02/19/2025 9:41:54 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: metmom

I know, right?

You mean you didn’t *KNOW* where WGN radio is???? ;-)


17 posted on 02/19/2025 9:44:10 AM PST by Blueflag (To not carry is to choose to be defenseless.)
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To: Blueflag

**For those who don’t know, this is about Chicago ...**

Straight west 150 miles, near the Mississippi River, keeping cattle and hogs watered and fed was brutal at times.

Although, IIRC, winter 77-78 was a bit tougher. Even though the temp climbed above 32 a few times during the mid Dec-mid Feb stretch, the overall average for that period was colder. Corn silage freezing to the silo wall was always an issue in winter cold snaps, but it froze a few inches thicker that winter than the year before.


18 posted on 02/19/2025 9:46:34 AM PST by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: DallasBiff

We had something similar here in Idaho during the “snowmageddon” winter of 2016-17. It stayed below freezing for a few weeks, and just kept snowing. My cul-de-sac had about 18” of snow piled up at one point. Our fleet of Subarus kept us moving during that time.


19 posted on 02/19/2025 9:47:02 AM PST by Disambiguator
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To: DallasBiff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQRqr9_jw5I&t=13s


20 posted on 02/19/2025 9:58:09 AM PST by AbolishCSEU (Amount of "child" support paid is inversely proportionate to mother's actual parenting of children)
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