Blizzard of 78, 35 years ago

[Cisco Kid]

And I had walk to school , 20 miles up hill in this.

[dbussone]

I cross country skied to work for 10 days.

[billethkid]

and it was just another snow storm that happens occasionally where ever it snows a lot.

There was no 24/7 sensationalism to warn us of the impending danger.

There was no magnifying by telling us how many millions of people who "will be" affected by the coming snows.

There were no reporters standing in the weather showing us how it was snowing, where ever.

We knew we had a lot of snow when we looked out the window in the morning.

And yes we were expected to get to school and go to work.

When I worked for GE way back when, their weather stance was.....we are always open and expect employees to try to get to work......most did.

Some day the latter generatons will be gone and then there will be only the totally uninformed bots who know only what is being fed to them by the 24/7.

There is a lot I like about the world we live in today. I totally and completely dislike the 24/7 folks treating we the people like uninformed dolts.....and that goes for more than just the weather.

[PJUCTH]

High School a friend died during the storm trying to shovel out his car. One of the teachers nephews. A week off from school. We were never the same kids again.

[Beth P]

It followed several other storms. We had so much snow we were sliding out of the second story dorm windows for the fun of it. Classes were cancelled for at least a couple of days.

[TidalWalkers]

Was teaching at Crestview Schools at that time near Mansfield, Ohio. A semi-truck and the driver inside were buried and "lost" for 3 days on St Rt 13. A snowmobiler heard strange noises from under the snow and discovered the entire semi and driver safe! I traveled that road to school to Rt 545 and we were out of school for weeks. We all survived that storm that had no real warning....we didn't blitz the groceries prior to it and clear out all bread and milk! Great memories of a big storm! Haven't been in one that big since.....thank goodness! Love life here in The Villages....not venturing into "snow country" during the wintertime! :MOJE_whot:

[Bonny]

I remember later that year in the spring we had laid sod in our yard which had a pretty good slope to it. That night we had a horrible thunderstorm & our power went out so we took our 4 month old to my parents about 30 minutes away then hubby and I went back to our house. What an awful surprise to find all of our sod had slid into the street !! What a mess. Thank goodness we were the second to the last house on a dead end.
Not that it has anything to do with snow, but another bad storm that year. LOL

[karostay]

And I had walk to school , 20 miles up hill in this.
I walked to school and home uphill both ways :1rotfl:

[OBXNana]

I was pregnant and due at any time. Instead of worrying, we walked about a mile to have dinner for our anniversary, and walked back home feeling like we were ready for anything. The little bugger decided to wait for the next snow storm that followed a couple weeks later in PA.

[CFrance]

and it was just another snow storm that happens occasionally where ever it snows a lot.

There was no 24/7 sensationalism to warn us of the impending danger.

There was no magnifying by telling us how many millions of people who "will be" affected by the coming snows.

There were no reporters standing in the weather showing us how it was snowing, where ever.

We knew we had a lot of snow when we looked out the window in the morning.

And yes we were expected to get to school and go to work.

When I worked for GE way back when, their weather stance was.....we are always open and expect employees to try to get to work......most did.

Some day the latter generatons will be gone and then there will be only the totally uninformed bots who know only what is being fed to them by the 24/7.

There is a lot I like about the world we live in today. I totally and completely dislike the 24/7 folks treating we the people like uninformed dolts.....and that goes for more than just the weather.
I recall you had much the same reaction to an earlier storm up north this fall that caused many deaths and power outages, and caused other posters to recount other storm disasters. It really isn't just media blowup.

That winter of '78 was disastrous, and a coal strike to boot in western PA left a serious energy shortage. There were many power outages, auto accidents, deaths, and people holed up in their homes without being able to get out to get food. We personally had one car abandoned in a ditch at the top of our hill, and the other stuck in the ice at the bottom, with my husband dodging out-of-control cars trying to walk through two feet of snow back to home. This was before all wheel drive. And his large employer absolutely did not require everyone to be at work.

There is nothing to dismiss about sudden horrendous snowstorms. I remember having to abandon our van once in a freak November snowstorm and carry my toddler a mile and a half down a major road with no sidewalks to reach home. And Pittsburgh is all about hills. Your tough-it-out attitude is a slap in the face, IMO.

[onslowe]

I had an exciting time, but nopw it's very sad memories. I was a labor union attorney in NYC back then and our largest client, a Service Employees International Union local, was on a major demonstration and mass picket at the Twin Towers. New cleaning contractor came in having a very low bid and then laid off approximately two thousand union men and women office cleaners at the WTC. The protests were still allowed inside the concourse of the WTC which was very good because of the blizzard. At night though, some of the self lubricated troops 'boosted' some liquor bottles as the protest parade snaked around the concourse. They were arrested and our firm had to make sure all was according to Hoyle .

They were in cells at the bottom basement of the WTC. Unbelievable place. The police area looked like a massive audition for Hill Street Blues undercover roles! Truly scurvy looking characters - now I knew where the "bums" came from on my subway rides each day!

One group of arrestees (mostly Latino) were merrily playing cards with the cops. The cop in charge said "They're fine, and we'll be letting them go after the big crowd above us is gone. No heroes. Just nice and easy." The Latino guys smiled and waved at me and gave me thumbs up. Nice typical NYC common sense handling of matters.

I went out into the swirling blinding river side storm and caught a union business agent lying in the snow and firing a not home-made slingshot at the WTC windows, checking range and projectiles. He told me that was in case 'it' had to be raised up a few notches. I lied to him and told him a Port Authority cop saw him and asked me to give him an immediate 'cease and desist.' He did. Things never got to that point.

I went home that early morning feeling invigorated and self satisfied. I got on the Number 1 local at the station beneath the WTC.

That entire little metropolis, with its own trains and station, is now gone. What hell it must have been that day in 2001.

We ended up with the desired labor agreements and peace a week later, but still I have sad memories.

[onslowe]

I had an exciting time, but nopw it's very sad memories. I was a labor union attorney in NYC back then and our largest client, a Serivce Employee International Union local, was on a major demonstration and mass picket at the Twin Towers. New cleaning contractor came in having a very low bid and then laid off approximately two thousand union men and women office cleaners at the WTC. The protests were still allowed inside the concourse of the WTC which was very good because of the blizzard. At night though, some of the self lubricated troops 'boosted' some liquor bottles as the protest parade snaked around the concourse. They were arrested and our firm had to make sure all was according to Hoyle .

They were in cells at the bottom basement of the WTC. Unbelievable place. The police area looked like a massive audition for Hill Street Blues undercover roles! Truly scurvy looking characters - now I knew where the "bums" came from on my subway rides each day!

One group of arrestees (mostly Latino) were merrily playing cards with the cops. The cop in charge said "They're fine, and we'll be letting them go after the big crowd above us is gone. No heroes. Just nice and easy." The Latino guys smiled and waved at me and gave me thumbs up. Nice typical NYC common sense handling of matters.

I went out into the swirling blinding river side storm and caught a union business agent lying in the snow and firing a not home-made slingshot at the WTC windows, checking range and projectiles. He told me that was in case 'it' had to be raised up a few notches. I lied to him and told him a Port Authority cop saw him and asked me to give him an immediate 'cease and desist.' He did. Things never got to that point.

I went home that early morning feeling invigorated and self satisfied. I got on the Number 1 local at the station beneath the WTC.

That entire little metropolis, with its own trains and station, is now gone. What hell it must have been that day in 2001.

We ended up with the desired labor agreements and peace a week later, but still I have sad memories.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I remember it well, but your a bit early. The Blizzard of '78 occurred on Feb 5-Feb 7.

But what a lot of people tend to forget is that we had another very big storm about two weeks before and still had about 12" of snow on the ground on those dates.

[Taltarzac725]

I remember it well, but your a bit early. The Blizzard of '78 occurred on Feb 5-Feb 7.

But what a lot of people tend to forget is that we had another very big storm about two weeks before and still had about 12" of snow on the ground on those dates.

Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States_blizzard_of_1978)

I was in Reno, Nevada studying Philosophy and History at the University of Nevada, Reno so have no memories of this blizzard.

[Chi-Town]

More than one blizzard in '78 evidently.

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/iln/research/Blizzard1978/blizzard78.php

[DangeloInspections]

I remember the storm of 78, but for me, being from western NY, the Blizzard of 77 was more memorable for me personally. I was 19, had my Dad's car, and was stranded 3 days at some friends of mine...three girls who shared an apartment. :laugh: The rest of my family were evacuated to the local school with hundreds of other folks. I remember walking on roofs and touching the tops of some telephone poles and streetlights.

Here is some info on the two storms....

1977
Jan. 28–29, Buffalo, N.Y.: “Blizzard of 1977” dumped about 7 in. of new snow on top of 30–35 in. already on the ground. With winds gusting to 70 mph, drifts were as high as 30 ft. Death toll reached 29, and seven western N.Y. counties were declared a national disaster area.
1978
Feb. 6–8, eastern U.S.: “Blizzard of 1978” battered the East Coast, particularly the Northeast; claimed 54 lives and caused $1 billion in damage. Snowfall ranged from 2–4 ft in New England, plus nearly 2 ft of snow already on the ground from an earlier storm.

Isn't it great we no longer shovel snow....? Gotta love Florida!

Frank

[Bavarian]

The Big storm, Blizzard if you will, in Southen Maryland hit on Washington's Birthday Weekend. Had just moved into my first house. The county had not yet accepted the roads so they were not plowed, the builder came a day later and made a swath, but on CuldeSac So had to shovel driveway and large part of street.
Did not have to go to work as Naval Air Station closed. The runways had to be plowed first, no time for roads.
Good way to meet the neighbors resting whild shoveling, a new development.
First idea I knew we had bad snow was when I looked out first floor bedroom window, and couldn't see out. Up there every 4-5 years we would get series of big snows, other years not much, close to water.
But due to reorg that brought more paper pushers in and the moving of the squadron that needed to be able to take off/land anytime, not that much Station closing for the new big snows. No Base closings, but schools still close on prediction of 1-2 inches.

When I was young in Philadelphia, had to walk to train later City bus in knee high snow, both up hill and down hill, really, part of walk was down a hill, later part was up hill along the way.

[BobnBev]

I think it snowed in Connecticut during that time period. Can't really be sure, though.:cold::cold:

[mfp509]

The blizzard started on Feb 6th in CT - 2 days after my fathers birthday. I was working for the Dept of Transportation and was lucky to be on my day off and also had the next couple of days off. Otherwise, I would have been stranded at work. Worst storm I had ever seen.

[manaboutown]

This storm must have predated global warming.

[Biancarose]

My new born son was coming home from the hospital that day. We had to hire a backhoe to get into the house, the happiest day of my life until the second happiest day of my life when my second son was born. It was during hurricane Gloria, no one came to the hospital, no flowers and the nurses were on strike...lol

[dbussone]

My new born son was coming home from the hospital that day. We had to hire a backhoe to get into the house, the happiest day of my life until the second happiest day of my life when my second son was born. It was during hurricane Gloria, no one came to the hospital, no flowers and the nurses were on strike...lol


My wife and I left Boston for good after the Blizzard of '78. It's nice to go back now and then but I do not miss the snow at all This year they had 96 inches of snowfall. Just unbelievable.

[Cisco Kid]

I was cold then, I'm cold now, I will be cold later.

[rubicon]

and it was just another snow storm that happens occasionally where ever it snows a lot.

There was no 24/7 sensationalism to warn us of the impending danger.

There was no magnifying by telling us how many millions of people who "will be" affected by the coming snows.

There were no reporters standing in the weather showing us how it was snowing, where ever.

We knew we had a lot of snow when we looked out the window in the morning.

And yes we were expected to get to school and go to work.

When I worked for GE way back when, their weather stance was.....we are always open and expect employees to try to get to work......most did.

Some day the latter generatons will be gone and then there will be only the totally uninformed bots who know only what is being fed to them by the 24/7.

There is a lot I like about the world we live in today. I totally and completely dislike the 24/7 folks treating we the people like uninformed dolts.....and that goes for more than just the weather.

spot on

[velcro]

I was much to young to remember, it must have been terrible!

[RedChariot]

More than one blizzard in '78 evidently.

National Weather Service Wilmington Ohio -- Local Research (http://www.erh.noaa.gov/iln/research/Blizzard1978/blizzard78.php)

This is the one I remember. I was an RN on the night shift in ICU. Unbelievable how busy the night was. Towards morning we heard it had snowed all night and they could not open the ER doors. No one from day shift showed. I was there till 4 pm.our cars were buried under what we heard was 3 feet of snow. A co-worker's father come to take us home. The main street was a tunnel. I lived with my mother who did not drive. Next day I walked to a little grocery store to get food and dragged it home in a green plastic garbage bag. By the second or third day the buses were running so I took a bus to the hospital to dig my car out. This memory has stayed with me my whole life.

[dbussone]

This is the one I remember. I was an RN on the night shift in ICU. Unbelievable how busy the night was. Towards morning we heard it had snowed all night and they could not open the ER doors. No one from day shift showed. I was there till 4 pm.our cars were buried under what we heard was 3 feet of snow. A co-worker's father come to take us home. The main street was a tunnel. I lived with my mother who did not drive. Next day I walked to a little grocery store to get food and dragged it home in a green plastic garbage bag. By the second or third day the buses were running so I took a bus to the hospital to dig my car out. This memory has stayed with me my whole life.

My wife was an RN as well. The governor banned driving so the police would take the nurses to and from work. I cross country skied to work for 10 days.

[Gerald]

I walked to school and home uphill both ways :1rotfl:

YOU HAD SHOES AT LEAST. My family had only one pair of boots and we all had to share.

[John_W]

I worked in Pensacola from 1977 to 1982 and I don't remember seeing any snow. The biggest event we had that year was on May 8th, National 193 thought Pensacola Bay looked like a runway, unfortunately it was 12' deep.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Nationalcrash.jpg/350px-Nationalcrash.jpg

[HimandMe]

We had been out snowmobiling, enjoying the snow but then it came time to drive 3 hours back home. The white cliffs were towering on both sides of the road but we thought we would get fired if we were not at work the next day. What a risk we took but thanks for the memory of all the fun playing in the snow. We used to have campfires on the snow trails and enjoy friends, food and fun. Now we love the Villages....so many wonderful people here!

[HimandMe]

YOU HAD SHOES AT LEAST. My family had only one pair of boots and we all had to share.

You had boots?