30th anniversary of the Great Blizzard of 1978

[Portastorm]

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the Great Blizzard of 1978. As a native Ohioan (now living in Texas), I cannot forget what that experience was like ... probably is the most profound weather event I have witnessed. I'll never forget how in the span of 10 minutes, a driving rainstorm changed into a driving snowstorm with the temperatures then plummeting and the winds increasing steadily to hurricane force gusts.

For my fellow Texans (and Southerners), imagine a Category 1 hurricane ... except the rain is snow and the temperature is not 60 or 70 but 20 dropping into single digits ... everything else is the same, including the winds.

The Cleveland NWS site has a link:

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cle/wx_events/B ... ard78.html

[Ed Mahmoud]

The Blizzard of '78, which let me miss 5 days of Catholic school in Amityville, NY, was in February.



Now, there was a surpise (because it didn't turn to rain as predicted) foot of snow, good for one missed day, in January.


Now, the Blizzard caused all kinds of coastal flooding issues in New England

Lobster boat in a parking lot


Ok, just Googled the other Blizzard of '78, and 958 mb in Cleveland, Ohio, that is pretty impressive. I guess 1978 was just a good year for blizzards.


This is a cool pic

Five days after the Blizzard of '78, cars were still abandoned on Route 128 near the Dedham/Westwood town line. As we prepare our 30th anniversary coverage of the storm, we want to hear from you.

[tomboudreau]

There were actually two blizzards of 78. The first one happened in the Midwest, and the second one happened in New England. I believe they were two different storms that caused these two blizzards. I was just 11 months old when the storm hit New England.

[Ed Mahmoud]

There were actually two blizzards of 78. The first one happened in the Midwest, and the second one happened in New England. I believe they were two different storms that caused these two blizzards. I was just 11 months old when the storm hit New England.

You missed an excellent year for blizzards.

[Miss Mary]

Hey all - didn't see this thread before I started one on the Weather Attic Forum:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=99914

I posted two links, one for a Cincinnati local TV channel's forum. And one for pictures of the blizzard.

Mary

[JBG]

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the Great Blizzard of 1978. As a native Ohioan (now living in Texas), I cannot forget what that experience was like ... probably is the most profound weather event I have witnessed. I'll never forget how in the span of 10 minutes, a driving rainstorm changed into a driving snowstorm with the temperatures then plummeting and the winds increasing steadily to hurricane force gusts.

This is obviously a different storm than the February Blizzard of 1978 that affected Boston, NYC et. al.

[JBG]

There were actually two blizzards of 78. The first one happened in the Midwest, and the second one happened in New England. I believe they were two different storms that caused these two blizzards. I was just 11 months old when the storm hit New England.

Actually three. The Northeast got one a week before the Ohio Blizzard, and another a week later.

[cag1953]

Wow! I remember this storm well. We were living in Michigan then. All day long they had been telling us up to 8 inches of snow. When we went to bed ,they were saying 10-12 inches. My husband came in and woke me up early the next morning saying he had something to show me. I couldn't believe what I saw. We couldn't open our front door because of the snow(some of it was due to drifting). But we had at least 15 inches over night,and it snowed the next day too. We were stranded in our house for almost 5 days. I think we were the last ones to get shoveled out because I had talked to other people and they said they had been plowed a couple days earlier! It was a interesting experience but not anything I would care to do again! That's why I live in the south now.

[Portastorm]

Perhaps I should have clarified in the title as indeed there were several blizzards that year!

This one was easily the worst we had ever seen in northeastern Ohio. I believe it set a record for the lowest barometric pressure recorded in the eastern United States at 28.28 inches.

[HURAKAN]

There were actually two blizzards of 78. The first one happened in the Midwest, and the second one happened in New England. I believe they were two different storms that caused these two blizzards. I was just 11 months old when the storm hit New England.

You missed an excellent year for blizzards.

I was 9 years to be born!

[HURAKAN]

Midwest:


January 26 1978 Surface map

New England:


While the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was closed, students created other projects

___________________

Some Pictures:









_____________________

Video:

Blizzard of 78: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zxndRIsQJHw&feature=related

[Ed Mahmoud]

Hyannis, MA is getting close to blizzard conditions now.

MAZ022-024-280900-
/O.EXT.KBOX.HW.W.0001.080127T2200Z-080128T0900Z/
BARNSTABLE MA-NANTUCKET MA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHATHAM...FALMOUTH...PROVINCETOWN...
NANTUCKET
442 PM EST SUN JAN 27 2008

...HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY...

THE HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY.

THIS HIGH WIND WARNING INCLUDES CAPE COD AND NANTUCKET.

DAMAGING WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. SUSTAINED
NORTHERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH ARE
LIKELY BEFORE SUBSIDING NEAR DAYBREAK. THESE HIGH WINDS IN COMBINATION
WITH HEAVY WET SNOW MAY BE ENOUGH TO BRING DOWN SOME TREES AND
WIRES...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

THE BRUNT OF THE WIND WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 7 PM TONIGHT AND 4 AM
MONDAY. NANTUCKET AND THE OUTER CAPE SHOULD RECEIVE THE STRONGEST
WIND FROM THIS STORM.

THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND 20 FOOT SEAS JUST OFFSHORE
WILL CAUSE MINOR BEACH EROSION DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLES LATE
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. SOME SPLASHOVER OR MINOR COASTAL
FLOODING MAY OCCUR ALONG EAST AND NORTH FACING SHORELINES DURING
THE MONDAY AFTERNOON HIGH TIDE.

THE INTENSE STORM PRODUCING THE NASTY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE
POSITIONED ABOUT 225 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF NANTUCKET THIS EVENING
THEN HEAD EAST NORTHEAST MONDAY.

STAY PREPARED FOR THE LIKELIHOOD OF DAMAGING WINDS. IF YOU LOSE
POWER...DO NOT USE CANDLES SINCE THEY ARE A FIRE HAZARD.

$$

Not expecting quite enough snow for a blizzard, and what does fall is supposed to be wet, so it won't drift well, but still sort of a mini-blizzard for the year round residents. When we still lived in New York, my parents rented a house in Harwichport for 2 weeks. I wasn't legal drinking age, but I discovered a bottle of Manischevits, perfect for the teen palate, and did have a little party, and never got caught.


Link title edited for inappropriate comment by CM

[Ed Mahmoud]

At least someone is enjoying winter

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
850 PM EST SUN JAN 27 2008

...NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ON CAPE COD WILL CONTINUE IN BANDS THROUGH
AT LEAST 2 AM WITH 55 MPH WIND GUSTS CAUSING POWER OUTAGES AND SEAS
TO 25 FEET BATTERING THE EAST PARTS OF NANTUCKET AND CHATHAM...

.INTENSIFYING LOW PRESSURE ABOUT 200 NM SOUTHEAST OF NANTUCKET
THIS EVENING WILL DRIFT EAST NORTHEAST MONDAY...FINALLY WEAKENING
IN ITS TUESDAY DEPARTURE FOR NOVA SCOTIA.

MAZ019-022>024-280800-
/O.UPG.KBOX.SN.Y.0004.000000T0000Z-080128T0900Z/
/O.NEW.KBOX.WS.W.0003.080128T0150Z-080128T1200Z/
EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-BARNSTABLE MA-DUKES MA-NANTUCKET MA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PLYMOUTH...CHATHAM...FALMOUTH...
PROVINCETOWN...VINEYARD HAVEN...NANTUCKET
850 PM EST SUN JAN 27 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY. THE SNOW
ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

THE WARNING INCLUDES ALL OF CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS AS WELL AS
COASTAL PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

TRAVEL ON CAPE COD IS NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS.

SNOW WILL CONTINUE AT VARYING RATES ACROSS CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS
AS WELL AS SOUTHEAST PLYMOUTH COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH MIDNIGHT...THEN
SLOWLY EASE DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.

THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND WIND DRIVEN BLOWING SNOW WILL AT
TIMES MAKE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN THE WARNING AREA.

THE PRIMARY TARGET IS CAPE COD WHERE A FOOT OF SNOW WILL OCCUR IN
SOME SPOTS WHILE MANY OTHER AREAS HAVE STORM TOTALS AROUND 5 OR 6
INCHES.

DRIFTS OF 3 TO 4 FEET WILL OCCUR FROM SOUTHEAST PLYMOUTH COUNTY
ACROSS CAPE COD.

TRAVEL MAY BECOME IMPASSABLE AT TIMES TONIGHT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF
THE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

STORM TOTALS IN SOUTHEAST PLYMOUTH COUNTY...MARTHA VINEYARD AND
NANTUCKET WILL PROBABLY AVERAGE BETWEEN 4 AND 8 INCHES.

EVEN WHEN THE SNOW DIMINISHES AFTER MIDNIGHT...OCCASIONALLY SEVERE BLOWING
AND DRIFTING WILL CONTINUE INTO THE MONDAY MORNING DAYLIGHT HOURS...
ESPECIALLY FROM PROVINCETOWN TO WELLFLEET...CHATHAM AND HYANNIS AS
WELL AS NANTUCKET.

BE PREPARED FOR TRAVEL DELAYS LINGERING INTO FORENOON MONDAY.

WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE INCHES
OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD OR FOR 8 OR MORE INCHES IN A
24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST ON WELL TREATED
SURFACES...AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON ANY UNPLOWED OR UNTREATED SURFACES.

[2 Seam Fastball]

I can remember there being thunder snow in that one. That blizzard was also like a hurricane. It had an eye pass over us.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I can remember there being thunder snow in that one. That blizzard was also like a hurricane. It had an eye pass over us.

Some of those kind of looked like they had an eye, with a clear spot, but on IR imagery, you'd see all the cold cloud tops (the bigger clouds) along and North of where the eye-like feature was, with low clouds, to the South of it.

[Yankeegirl]

I was 2 when that blizzard hit us... I lived in Woonsocket, Rhode Island at the time... I believe they got 54 inches of snow in 24 hours... I dont remember it, but I have plenty of pics of it... From what I have heard, Woonsocket,RI got the most snow.... Crazy!

[Miss Mary]

Yes this was a great year for Blizzards. I know it's confusing, b/c the Midwest Blizzard is a different date from the New England Blizzard but that entire winter was just wild! I recall not seeing lawns for 3 full months. Which is unheard of now. Heck if 3 days go by and you can't see the grass, that's a big snow here in Cincinnati!

One of the crazy stories I recall from back then was Chicago was also hit with a major storm (not sure if it was this Midwest blizzard or not). But one downtown resident spent hours, clearing deep snow from a parking spot in front of his townhouse or apartment. He finally finished and went to get his car. When he returned someone else had taken it. This man was livid that someone would quickly take his hard earned parking spot. So he hooked up a garden hose and turned it on this car. The car was encased in thick ice and that picture made the news. It was in our local paper so I know it went out on the AP wires......I always wondered what happened with that story....was the man charged, arrested? How long did it take for that car to thaw out? LOL I hate to say but today, the man wouldn't have used a garden hose, he probably would have reached for a gun!