Blizzard of '78.

Tomorrow marks the 31st anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978, which officially started on February 6, 1978 and ended two days later on February 8th. If you are not from the area, The Blizzard of '78 was historic. The City of Boston and surrounding cities and towns were crippled
for days.

My mother has all the pictures from then - I'll have to get some copies for myself because you really have to see the pictures to believe it. I found the "Certificate of Survival" below in my scrapbook the other day. I forget where I got it - maybe from The Boston Globe, not sure.

You are probably not able to make out what it says:

  • President Carter declares Federal disaster area.
  • National Guard and US Army sent in.
  • Worst winter in 105 years.
  • 27.1 inches of snowfall in 24 hrs - a record.
  • Record school closings.
  • Record winds of 79 mph.

I remember it taking days (maybe a week) for our street to see a snow plow. I also think we didn't go to school for three weeks (Feb. school vacation was in there) - there was no place to put the snow! Buses, trucks and cars were stranded on a highway/road less than 1/4 from our house.

I also remember pulling our toboggan to the grocery store. Our neighbor, Mr. H., borrowed our toboggan, took orders for booze from all the neighbors and went to the closest package store to stock up!

I doubt I'll see another storm in my lifetime with the same effect as The Great Blizzard of 1978.