Remembering the blizzard of '78 (where were you when the blizzard hit?)

The Boston Globe ^ | 02/06/03 | B. J. Roche

[NewHampshireDuo]

The images linger: snowbound interstates clogged with abandoned vehicles -- 3,500 on an eight-mile stretch of Route 128 alone; parked cars that became towering snowdrifts along Boston streets best navigated on skis; people tugging grocery-laden sleds on unplowed major thoroughfares; Governor Michael S. Dukakis on television, clad in a reassuring pullover sweater.

[genefromjersey]

Having experienced the Blizzard of 1947, I was enjoying the balmy weather..................NOT !

Still, to keep things in perspective, the Blizzard of 1888 was one of the worst on record. For example, the ice on the Atlantic shoreline was so thick, some brave souls managed to ice skate on the ocean, from Boston Harbor to NY Harbor !!!

[Guillermo]

Yeah, I remember where I was.

I was on a rooftop shaking my fists at George W. Bush for wreaking such havoc.

[Willie Green]

What really made it bad was that 2 weeks before 24 inches fell in southern New England so another 3 feet was the coup de grace.

I was living in west/central Pennsylvania at the time.
I don't know if it was the same storm or not, but I figure we might've caught the edge of it.
Anyway, I can remember getting hit with 18" one night that was a little more difficult than usual for the town to dispose of because it followed closely on the tail of a previous storm that dumped a foot or so. Not as bad as other places, but still memorable.

[Quix]

I must have been in Washington State.

But in the blizzard of 1968 I was in Flagstaff in the dorm at NAU. *PACKED* SNOW ON ROUTE 66 was well over a foot to maybe up to 3 feet thick in some places. It was over 8 and occasionally 11 feet high in some places on the Navajo Reservation and hay etc. had to be air lifted in.

[never4get]

It was an incredible storm…18 years old at the time..2 ½ feet of snow Islip, NY. Cars stranded on the Northern & Southern Sate Parkways on the Island. There was a 30 foot drift of snow over the second story of the High School I attended. Needless to say I must have spent a good 20 hours running around outside during the storm. I remember the papers Newsday had a picture on the 2/7/78 edition of police officers at noon time on 2/6 using flares to direct traffic on the highways as the power was out and the visibility was perhaps 20 feet. I have never seen anything like it since.

[WL-law]

I lived in Medford, MA back then.

Hey -- I lived in Medford MA as well -- it was wild. Had special permission to travel because I was on emergency duty at Mass General Hospital -- so I was permitted to drive into Boston on the otherwise empty roads, snow piled 5 ft on either side.

[Fzob]

I remember that storm. I worked at a pizza joint in NJ that had a pickup and deliverer business.

We got about 22" by the time it was over and believe it or not kept delivering pie until it was 12" + deep. The pizza place supplied the cars of course.

Next day we delivered as usual

[flutters]

I don't remember much of the blizzard, but our local meteorologist is predicting a blizzard similiar to that of '78. He thinks the conditions are very much like what was seen just before the '78 blizzard. I hope he's wrong!

[PaulJ]

I was living in my "bachelor pad" in Hartord, it was my day off and the Governor closed all roads. I remember thinking how much I'd like to see the Berlin Tpke without any cars, so, when the snow finally stopped, I walked the 2 miles to it's start. It was such a weirdly beautiful and silent sight that I then wanted to see I-91. So I continued my trek and made it all the way to Downtown Hartford and I can recall standing there, in the center lane of 91, not a car around looking at the beautifully lit skyline of Hartford. I thought,"when will I ever get a chance to see this sight again?". It was magnificent.

[FeliciaCat]

I was about 8 years old and living in Southern California (Riverside County) I dont remember a thing about it. ;)

[muggs]

the best thing about that blizzard was that my son was born 9 months later. I think there must have been a little baby boom in October-November 1978.

[Ol' Sox]

Why I remember the blizzard of '78, by crackey. I was going to school and renovating a house in the North End of Hartford. By the time classes ended that day, there were 8" on the ground and talk of LOTS more so I headed to my girlfriend's farmhouse in Bloomfield. We donned x-country skis and went to the package store and stocked up for a long winter's ...hey, wait a sec...this is really none of your business, now, is it?

[Sunshine55]

I remember it well...it was my first ALL ELECTRIC apartment here in Columbus, Ohio. I woke up at 7 am and it was 42 degrees in the apt. My apt. faced a field, and my neighbors had to dig me out because I had an 8-foot drift blocking my door. All the Chevy afficianados were blown away when my 72 Mustang started right up; the only problem was that I couldn't get us out because my tires were frozen in 6 inches of water :)

[P.O.E.]

Lived in Kearny, NJ. My cat escaped that day. Returned a week later with pneumonia. Even after vet's care, died about two weeks later.

[conservativejunkie]

We lived in s. Fla. at the time but happened to be on vacation in Stowe Vt. We flew into Boston, rented a car and drove to Stowe. Skied for a week and drove back, spent the night in Bostonand the blizzard came and we were stranded for 4 more days. There is a lot more to this story(not good) but when I finaly got home I swore I would not ever fly in the winter again., and I haven"t.

[gunnydi]

my son was born in Oct. So it's one blizzard I'll never forget WHAT I was doing! lol

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

I was 6 at the time. The snow drifts were over my head. brrrrrr cold. I love Florida, no blizzards.

[Nonstatist]

I was in Buffalo, and milk was selling out of machines on the corner for 3 bucks a quart ( a lot in those days). The University was closed for a week ( a record back then), and when the plows were finally let back in, they found 3 people dead, trapped in their cars; one of them on Main Street.

We spent the whole week drinking at CPG's every night, heavily bundled up for the 30 minute walk. An interesting time.

[TC Rider]

As near as I can remember, it was business as usual in Casper Wyoming.

[Hatteras]

"The images linger: snowbound interstates clogged with abandoned vehicles -- 3,500 on an eight-mile stretch of Route 128 alone; parked cars that became towering snowdrifts along Boston streets best navigated on skis; people tugging grocery-laden sleds on unplowed major thoroughfares; Governor Michael S. Dukakis on television, clad in a reassuring pullover sweater."

Wait a minute, I thought you fellas up there were used to that stuff? "Abandoned vehicles" and missing school too? Everytime they call school down here for a few inches of snow I hear nothing but grief from northerners, "Why, where I come from in Icicleville, New York we never have school canceled. Three feet is nothing, if you can get out of your house you can got to school!" and "Youse guys donknow how to frickin' drive in da frickin' snow!"

Hmmmm....